


When The Light's All Faded

by thatmitchsentho



Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: F/F, Side Staubrey, bechloe centric
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-24
Updated: 2018-05-15
Packaged: 2018-08-24 07:34:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 78,539
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8363350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatmitchsentho/pseuds/thatmitchsentho
Summary: Chloe Beale boards a plane with her two year old and takes a seat. It isn't until they part ways that she learns that the woman sitting in their row was none other than famous DJ and producer Beca Mitchell. The DJ was cute and great with her daughter and she might want to see that face again. They click straight away but they're from two totally different worlds - they both want in, but it might be a little harder than that.





	1. Chapter 1

Chloe Beale carefully walked down the aisle of the plane. She saw the looks on the other travelers faces as they registered that she was carrying her two year old daughter. She knew flying with a toddler wasn't ideal and that the other passengers were all secretly hoping that they weren't seated anywhere close to them. She found their allocated seats and a flight attendant caught their eye just as she began removing the toddler seat belt harness from her bag.

"Are you familiar with installing one of these?" he asked cheerfully.

"Yeah," Chloe said. "But I'd feel better if you check it once I'm done."

"That's not a problem," he said. He stepped back while Chloe placed Lucy on the booster seat and began strapping her in. Once Lucy was secure, the man gently tugged on the straps to make sure she was anchored properly.

"All good to go," he said. "Enjoy your flight." Chloe kept one eye on her daughter, who was singing to her stuffed rabbit, as she stowed their bag in the overhead cabin. Just as she closed it, she was approached by a smaller woman with chestnut colored hair. She struggled to reach the overhead bin, so Chloe lent a helpful hand and shoved her bag in.

"Thanks," the girl said. "Looks like we're row mates."

"I promise Lucy is easy to fly with," Chloe said nervously. The girl carefully eased past and took her allocated seat at the window.

"Oh I'm sure we'll be fine," the girl replied. "I'm Beca."

"Chloe," the redhead said with a relieved sigh. Beca buckled herself in.

"Hi Lucy," Beca said to the little girl. "Who's this?" She pointed to the rabbit.

"Bunny," Lucy said clearly. Beca nodded.

"You guys fly often?" Beca asked.

"Couple of times a year," Chloe said. "I bring Lucy back home to see her grandparents."

"You live in Seattle?" Beca asked.

"Yes. You?"

"Yeah I live in Seattle, but I was here for work," Beca said.

"What do you do?" Chloe asked. Their conversation was interrupted by the safety demonstration and instructions. Once they were all set for takeoff, Beca replied.

"I'm a DJ and I produce music," she said. "What about you?"

"Well I was about to go into my last year of med school when Lucy came along," Chloe said. "I'll eventually finish that off, but for now I work part time in a library."

"So Lucy wasn't exactly planned?"

"No," Chloe admitted. "And I was on the pill, believe it or not. So of course when I announce to Tom that I'm pregnant he acts like he's all happy, but somewhere in the beginning of the second trimester he decides he's not ready to be a dad."

"Ouch. Asshole," Beca said. Then she remembered there was a two year old sitting between them and pulled a face. "Sorry."

"It's accurate," Chloe said. "But Lucy is literally the best thing that ever happened to me."

"And Tom?"

"I've made it clear that he's allowed to be as involved as he likes in Lucy's life," Chloe said. "He's never met her." They felt the unusual sensation of the plane taxiing. Lucy was still playing and singing quietly to Bunny.

"Well she's a total cutie," Beca said. "And she may be better off. I didn't meet my dad until I was eighteen and it was a thoroughly underwhelming experience to say the least."

The plane was now beginning its ascent and Beca glanced out the window, fingers tugging at a spike she was wearing in her ear. She bit her bottom lip and Chloe realised she was nervous but she didn't point it out.

Lucy pointed at the other girls arm. "Mama, she drawed on her." Chloe looked down and sure enough Beca had a tattoo on her arm. The brunette looked confused.

"Your tattoo," she said. Beca smiled.

"That's naughty," Lucy whispered. "Mommy says pens are for paper."

"Mommy is right," Beca said. "But this is a special pen for skin and when you're a grown up you can use it if you want to." This took a few moments of serious consideration from the toddler but she seemed satisfied by that explanation. Chloe watched the brunette for a second. She was pretty. And she was really nice to Lucy, and not everybody was patient like that with toddlers.

A little while into the flight snacks and drinks were brought around. Beca turned the offered nuts down, saying she was allergic but they all took some juice. Chloe poured some of the apple juice into a sipper cup for her daughter. It had a Disney Princess picture on the side.

"Which princess is your favorite?" Beca asked. "Is it... Ariel?"

"'Punzel!" Lucy exclaimed.

"I think we've watched Tangled about a thousand times," Chloe confirmed. "It's her favorite. But mine is Ariel, because when I was a kid everyone teased me for having red hair but Ariel had it too."

"Mine's Mulan," Beca said. "She's not technically a princess, but she was still badass as hell." They chatted a little more during the flight, Lucy switching from Bunny to her juice and some animal crackers, to drawing with some crayons quietly.

"You've got a pretty well behaved kid here," Beca said.

"I'm lucky," Chloe said. "She doesn't need much to keep her entertained." Beca was about to remark that if this had been her at two the flight crew would be tossing her out the door, when the plane dropped suddenly. Lucy shrieked loudly, as did several other passengers. The pilot corrected but there was a large period of shaking, accompanied with a few more dips. The seatbelt light came on and a voice came over the radio.

"This is your pilot speaking," he said. "Looks like we've got a bit of turbulence. Hopefully it's not too long, but either way there's no need to panic, we're going to be just fine."

Lucy's lower lip was jutted out and her eyes were filling with tears. She began whimpering with the next shudder of the plane and outright crying with the one after that. Chloe immediately bent down and began trying to soothe the toddler, but the turbulence wasn't getting any better. Beca felt her own stomach jolt more than once, so she couldn't imagine how scary it must be for Lucy.

It continued on in a series of jolts and shakes, the toddler's anxious crying getting louder and more insistent. Beca saw that a few of the other passengers were looking over sympathetically. She was glad they weren't angry that Chloe couldn't calm her. But Chloe was getting exasperated and Beca decided to try and help out.

The plane was still jolting and Lucy was crying loudly. Chloe was trying her best to calm her but the unpredictable jerking was too much for the two year old. The redhead heard a few people behind her scoff and mutter about 'keeping noisy brats quiet' which made her simultaneously want to cry and yell. She was at her wits end and was about to pull Lucy out of the harness and hold her when she realized that Beca was singing.

She was bent down to Lucy's ear and she was holding one hand tightly in her own as she sang. Chloe recognized the song as the one from Tangled, Lucy's favorite. The toddlers cries subsided and she looked up at Beca with wet eyes. She watched, hiccupping and sniffling, as Beca kept singing, the whole song.

She sat silently as Beca switched to Frozen, and The Little Mermaid, and by the time she finished Part of Your World, they'd managed to escape the turbulence.

"Wow," Lucy said in the awed way toddlers did. "Pretty singing."

"Thank you," Beca said. "Still scared?" The red haired toddler shook her head but latched onto Beca's hand tightly.

"Thank you," Chloe said. "So much. We normally have no problems flying-" she heard another scoff from behind her and Beca watched her face fall. The smaller woman checked to see if the seatbelt sign was off and then stood up.

"You might want to cover her ears," Beca said calmly, nodding to Lucy. Chloe looked alarmed and gently covered her daughters ears as Beca kneeled on the chair to address the people behind them.

"What the fuck is your problem?" Beca asked. She was met with a wall of silence. "Don't be shy, you clearly have an opinion, there's more huffing going on back here than an asthmatic blowing out birthday candles. And I'm curious as to what sad, pathetic shit your day to day life must consist of if you can't find some compassion for a scared two year old. Because she's been quiet and well behaved this entire flight, until the plane started jerking like it was gonna drop outta the sky. The kid's two. Of course she got scared. Hell, I'm twenty five and I was scared. But she doesn't have a proper grasp on emotions yet, so she cried. Weird, though, coz you guys are pretty shit at the emotion thing too. You're a bunch of cold hearted, rude, pompous assholes and unlike her you have no excuse. So shut your mouths, and reserve your judgment for Saturday drinks at the country club." She turned around and sat down, facing an open mouthed Chloe and receiving light applause from a few people sitting nearby. Chloe removed her hands from Lucy's ears.

"Oh my god," she said quietly. "Beca."

"They had it coming," she shrugged. "She hasn't made a sound for three and a half hours and they're acting like idiots because she cried during turbulence for fifteen minutes."

"Thank you," Chloe said.

"It was my pleasure," Beca said.

"I have to say, I'm really glad you're our seat mate," Chloe said. "And you're so good with Lucy."

"Kids aren't hard," Beca said. "Everyone loves Disney."

The rest of the flight was a breeze. Lucy badgered Beca into singing a few more songs, which she gladly did. And she didn't complain when the toddler grabbed her hand during descent and landing.

Beca waited patiently as the plane emptied and Chloe dismantled the travel harness and collected their things. As they exited the plane, Lucy declared she was tired and Chloe hefted her up, the little girl curling into her shoulder. She shifted her bag awkwardly, until she felt a hand lift the strap up.

"I'll give you a hand," Beca said quietly with a smile.

"Thank you," Chloe mouthed.

"You taking a cab?"

"My friend is picking us up," she said. "She'll be at baggage. Is that okay?"

"Of course," Beca said. They made their way to baggage, where Chloe pointed out a blonde. Beca steered toward the carousel and asked Chloe to point out their bag. Once she'd collected their suitcase, she brought it over.

"Bree, this is Beca," Chloe said. "She was sitting with us during the flight, and she was our guardian angel."

"I don't think guardian angels curse like I do," Beca said, shaking the blonde's hand.

"Beca, this is my best friend Aubrey," Chloe said.

"Nice to meet you," the blonde said.

"You guys okay to get to the car?" Beca asked.

"I think so," Chloe said. "And thank you again, so much. I really appreciate everything you did."

"No worries," Beca said. "It was nice to meet you both- hey wait a sec." She bent down and retrieved Bunny from the floor, the toy having fallen from the now sleeping toddler's grasp.

"Oh god, thanks," Chloe said. "She won't sleep without him." Beca smiled and waved as they left the terminal, heading back over to the carousel to claim her own bag.

"Eventful flight?" Aubrey asked.

"It was mostly fine," Chloe said. "But we hit some bad turbulence and Lucy cried a lot. These people behind us were being jerks about it, calling her a brat. But the turbulence was pretty bad, and it went on for about fifteen minutes. And then Beca started singing Disney songs to Luce to calm her down."

"That's sweet."

"And then once it was done, she made sure Lucy was okay and then she got up and tore shreds off of the people behind us, saying they should have compassion for a scared two year old," Chloe said. "People clapped when she was finished." They navigated past a newsstand and Aubrey did a double take.

"Uh, Chlo?" she said. "Her name was Beca?"

"Yeah, why?" Chloe said, turning around. She saw what Aubrey was pointing at. It was Beca. She was on the cover of Rolling Stone under a headline that said "Beca Mitchell - Digital Music's Hottest Talent". Her jaw dropped.

"It's definitely her, right?" Aubrey said. Chloe nodded.

"I had no idea," Chloe said. "I mean she said was a DJ and a producer..."

"That's a story you can tell people," Aubrey said. "The time your two year old was serenaded by one of the biggest stars in music."

"She didn't act like a famous person, she was completely chill and relaxed," Chloe said. "Wow." They piled into the car and Aubrey took them home, where Lucy stayed asleep. Chloe tucked her into bed and pulled her laptop out. She Googled 'Beca Mitchell', curious to find out about her famous seat mate.

Apparently Beca was a frequent flier to club heavy cities, working nearly every weekend. She also seemed to avoid the spotlight where possible, and was reported to be looking to find some stability and settle down, focus on the producing for a while. As she read the article she discovered that all of the famous DJs exes were female - an interesting development.

She'd felt attracted to the brunette during the flight, but had discounted it as feeling affection toward someone who was good with Lucy. She'd fallen into that trap before. But Beca had nice eyes, and she was cute. And, of course, Lucy adored her, which was the most important thing to her. She heard the toddler stirring in her bedroom and went to wake her.

The next morning, she flicked on her television as she and Lucy ate toast together, and saw Beca's face flash up on the screen during an E News break. She hurriedly increased the volume.

"And Beca Mitchell is making news today, but not for her work in the studio," the reporter said. "Sources say that during a Florida-Seattle flight yesterday, Mitchell played nice with a fellow passengers toddler, singing Disney songs to calm the child down during turbulence. They also say that she displayed her trademark blunt style while dressing down the passengers behind them for being unsympathetic to the toddler and berating her tears during the - what is reported by a passenger on board as being - serious turbulence." Chloe smiled. She wanted to see Beca again, to thank her, but also just to see her.

During Lucy's nap, Chloe did a little more Googling and found the name and contact number of the recording studio where Beca worked. She bit her lip and stared at the phone before she picked up and dialed. She hit a switchboard and asked for Beca Mitchell's office.

"Beca Mitchell's office, Jesse Swanson," came an efficient voice.

"Hi, I was hoping to speak with Beca Mitchell," she said.

"Is she expecting your call?" he asked.

"No," Chloe said, only just realizing that someone like Beca probably didn't just take random phone calls. "I was on a flight with her yesterday and she was sitting with my daughter and I. I wanted to thank her."

"We've already had six people call today claiming to be that woman," he said. He didn't sound annoyed, just stating facts.

"Well, I'll give you some details and if you think I'm being legitimate you can pass it on with my phone number," Chloe said. "If I'm not who I say I am, she'll throw it out. If I am, well, that's good."

"Deal," Jesse said.

"My name is Chloe, and my daughter is Lucy," she said. "We both have red hair. Lucy was carrying a purple rabbit named Bunny, and during the flight she pointed at the headphones on Beca's wrist and asked her why she drew on herself because Mommy doesn't let her draw on herself." Jesse paused. It was sounding pretty plausible.

"She declined the flight service nuts because she said she was allergic, and during takeoff and landing she was a little nervous because she tugged on the spike in her ear," Chloe said. Jesse was convinced she was the real deal.

"I'll pass your name and number on," he said. Chloe gave him her number. "I hope you don't mind the hoop-jumping."

"No, I understand," Chloe said. "I just want to thank her again. She was great with Lucy."

"Okay," he said. "I'll give them to her as soon as she gets in from lunch." Chloe thanked him and hung up, before going to start on their post holiday washing.

Her phone rang about twenty minutes later, a number she didn't recognize. Forgetting all about her call to Beca's office she answered professionally.

"Chloe Beale."

"Chloe, this is Beca," the voice came. "I have a note on my desk with your phone number saying you called."

"Uh, yeah," Chloe said, suddenly nervous. "I hope you don't mind, I wanted to thank you again."

"It was my pleasure, honestly," Beca said. "Lucy is adorable."

"And I was wondering if we could take you out to dinner to repay you," Chloe said. "I mean, I know you're probably busy and she's two so it'll end up being early in the evening-"

"No, that sounds great," Beca said interestedly. "Um... I'm free tonight?"

"You are?" Chloe said.

"Yeah," Beca said. "What did you have in mind?"

"Um..." Chloe hadn't really though that far.

"Does Lucy eat Mexican food?" Beca asked.

"Yeah, as long as it's very mild," Chloe said. "She loves Holy Moly. Um, that's what she calls guacamole." Beca laughed.

"That's really cute," she said. "There's a pretty good Mexican place I know that's out of the way and cameras don't really follow me. Would that be okay?"

"Of course, just send me the address," Chloe said. "But this is my treat. Six o'clock? Or is that too early?"

"No, I'll see you then," Beca said. "I'm looking forward to seeing you." Chloe felt a little giddy.

"I'll see you then." She hung up and her stomach flipped slightly. But she shook it off. This was just to thank Beca for how great she'd been with Lucy. She checked her phone and smiled when she saw the message with the restaurants address. Then she busied herself cleaning until Lucy woke up.


	2. Chapter 2

Beca was waiting at the front of the restaurant when Chloe arrived with Lucy. She was wearing a deep red button down and a charcoal knitted jacket over black jeans. Chloe thought she looked great. It was a weird contrast seeing her, almost. She looked very much the epitome of an effortless rock-star on the cover of Rolling Stone but now she looked completely... normal. Then she chided herself because of course she was normal, she was a person.

The brunette smiled as her dinner dates approached. She thought Lucy looked adorable in her little sundress and that Chloe also looked beautiful in her sweater dress and boots. She had to remind herself that this was not actually a date, it was just dinner. She held the door for them.

"Luce, you remember Beca from the plane ride?" she asked. Lucy nodded shyly but still clung to her mothers hand.

"Pretty singing," she said. Beca grinned.

"That's right," Chloe said. "Well Beca is going to have dinner with us tonight."

"Want some holy moly?" she asked and Beca laughed.

"Yeah, Lucy, I love holy moly too." They were seated toward the back of the restaurant in a booth, the waiter bringing a booster for Lucy to sit on. Chloe picked up the menu and breathed an internal sigh of relief when she saw that the prices were actually very reasonable. She would get away with not putting it on her credit card, which was good.

"The portions here are pretty big," Beca said. "Like, if we get the large portion of something to share I guarantee we won't finish it."

"Don't forget holy moly!" Lucy interjected.

"I won't," Beca promised. "Are you a nacho, quesadilla, enchilada or taquito kind of girl?"

"Taquito," Chloe said. "Beef or chicken?"

"I'm good with either," Beca said. The waiter returned and asked what they wanted to order.

"Can we get a large serve of the mixed taquitos, please?" Chloe asked. "As well as a side of chips and guacamole and pico de gallo?"

"Sure," he said. "Drinks?"

"Just water is fine for me thanks," Beca said.

"A jug of water for the table and some apple juice in a plastic cup, please," Chloe said. There was a brief pause before Chloe felt compelled to add something else.

"I feel like a complete idiot for not recognizing you," she said. "On the plane."

"Do you listen to a lot of dance and electro?" Beca asked.

"Not really," Chloe admitted.

"Then why would you recognize me?" Beca asked. "I don't put my face out there a great deal. I don't like the whole fame part that comes along with the music gig. But I get that it's part of the deal."

"You don't like being famous?"

"I love being able to create good music with the most talented people in the industry," Beca said. "I love hearing from people who say that something I've created has touched them. But the cameras in your face, having people so interested in the boring and minute details of your life… not so much. I'm kind of a private person."

"Well, that's not a bad thing," Chloe said. "I've always thought that provided people are genuine, nothing else much matters." The waiter delivered drinks and they fell into easy conversation. Chloe had brought a small coloring book and some crayons to occupy Lucy, and the toddler was more than happy to entertain herself coloring once she had been assured that holy moly was in fact coming.

"So Tom isn't interested to even meet his daughter?" Beca asked.

"No," Chloe said. "His parents think he's an absolute jerk for running out, though. They're actually kind of lovely. They send a gift at Christmas and her birthday, and I send them photos. I figure that way if Tom gets curious he can ask them."

"I'm amazed at how easily you're taking that," Beca said. "You'd have every right to be bitter or angry."

"If Tom was only going to be in her life out of obligation, it wasn't going to do anybody any good," Chloe said. "Sure sometimes I think it'd be easier doing this with some help. But I love Lucy and I love my life."

"But you're going back to med school?"

"Once she's in preschool I'll probably go back part time," Chloe said. "So I can work and study and still be around for her." Beca was regarding her with an interesting expression.

"You are a hell of a woman, Chloe," she said simply. Chloe blushed a little. They switched gears and Beca told her about her family - or more accurately the lack thereof. Her dad had left when she was not much older than Lucy and she didn't meet him again until she was eighteen and her mother had been killed in an accident.

"He looked me up and down, the tattoos and piercings and the big black boots and the first thing he asked was if I was some kind of Satan worshiper," Beca said. "And it just went downhill from there."

The food arrived and they spent a few minutes dishing it up. Lucy cheered and immediately began dunking tortilla chips in the guacamole, which Chloe had mixed some of the pico de gallo in. Vegetable smuggling, she said, before adding a chicken taquito to Lucy's plate. The food was good, and as Beca had indicated, there was more than enough for the three of them. The two adults kept talking as they ate, and Chloe soon realized that she was definitely attracted to the other woman. It hadn't just been her interactions with Lucy.

"Mama," Lucy interrupted. "Gotta go potty." Chloe immediately stood up.

"Okay Luce," she said. "Beca, where are the bathrooms? She's potty training so I literally have about ninety seconds."

"Behind us, there's a hall, second door is the ladies," Beca said. Chloe picked the toddler up and disappeared. When they returned, Lucy was walking with her mother. As Chloe went to pick her up, the child squirmed out of her grasp and ran toward Beca. She tried to pull herself up onto Beca's lap.

"Come on Lucy, back in your chair," Chloe said. The toddler shook her head, bouncing red pigtails swinging hard. Beca picked her up and situated her on her lap. She used one arm to hold her steady as she picked up another chip.

"She's fine," Beca said.

"You sure?" Chloe asked.

"Sure I am," Beca replied, so Chloe sat back down. She bit back a grin though, because Lucy didn't always take to strangers quite so well. It wasn't long before the little girl fell asleep on her lap. Beca still didn't appear put out, not even when Chloe offered to take the girl from her.

"It's fine," Beca said. "But maybe we should settle up so you can get her home." Chloe nodded and motioned for the bill to be brought over.

Once she had paid the bill, Beca carried Lucy out to the car and carefully put her into the car seat. Chloe buckled her in and tucked a light blanket over her, closing the door quietly.

"Thanks for dinner," Beca said. "I had a lot of fun."

"Yeah, me too," Chloe said. Beca was standing very close to her, and she vaguely registered that the brunette smelled really good.

"This might seem a little out of the blue, but can we do this again sometime?" Beca asked. "But more like a date?" She leaned a little closer and Chloe swallowed, nodding her head slightly.

"I'd like that," she said softly. Their eyes were locked together and they instinctively moved closer to one another as if being drawn by magnets. Beca made the eventual move and leaned up and pressed her lips to Chloe's just briefly. It was soft and quick, almost over before Chloe realized it had happened at all.

"I'll call you," Beca said. "Drive home safe." Chloe nodded and got into her car. She saw Beca approaching a car and getting in. She drove straight home and got Lucy into bed, then immediately picked up her phone and called her best friend.

"Aubrey, I have a problem," Chloe said.

"What's wrong, Chlo?"

"I wanted to thank Beca for yesterday so I called her work and Lucy and I took her out to dinner," Chloe said.

"You were on a date with Beca Mitchell?" Aubrey asked.

"Well, no, but then she asked me if we can go out again and she kissed me," Chloe said.

"She kissed you!?"

"Yep."

"Oh," Aubrey said. "Now you need to have the conversation with her."

"Yeah," Chloe sighed. Since Lucy had been born, there had been a few people who had shown interest in her. Some of them even hung around once they learned she had a daughter. But generally they let her down in the end. Constant requests to lump Lucy with a sitter or complaints that she didn't want to stay out all night were the top two reasons she ended up breaking things off with someone. Now she found it was just easier to preempt it all with a frank discussion. A discussion she would now need to have with Beca.

The next morning after the sitter had picked Lucy up and she'd headed out, Chloe texted Beca.

_Are you free if I stop by for a quick word?_

_Sure, give me half an hour and I'm all yours._

She knew where Beca worked and figured if she left right now she'd be able to talk to Beca and answer any questions and still not be late to work. She found the office okay and was shown upstairs, where she waited in an open area, the young man behind the desk watching her.

"Hey," Beca said, coming out of the office. "Come in. Do you want anything?"

"No thanks," Chloe said, sitting in a comfortable chair opposite what must have been Beca's desk. "I have to get to work so I don't have much time. It's about last night." The musician looked a little worried.

"What about last night?" she asked. "Did I - should I not have kissed you? Because I'm not really the best with signals and stuff and I could have sworn-"

"No, I didn't mind that you kissed me, I swear," Chloe said. "But generally once I've kissed someone there's a talk that I need to have. Because things aren't just as simple as dating and kissing for me."

"Okay," Beca said with an obvious note of relief. She leaned against the edge of her desk. "I'm all ears." The redhead fidgeted.

"I don't really have the luxury of going out on my own a lot," Chloe said. "Lucy, obviously. Most of my support system is on the other side of the country. That little girl is my life, and that means other things, like my dating life, have to take a bit of a backseat." She was surprised to see that Beca was smiling at her.

"Firstly," she said, "I love how devoted you are to Lucy. She's lucky to have a mom who cares so much. Secondly, I had already considered that before I kissed you. What is it you're worried about? Me wanting to take you out and leave Lucy at home?"

"It wouldn't be the first time someone just expected me to leave her with a sitter all the time," Chloe said. "I can't do that to her and I won't. She's two and she trusts only a handful of people. Plus, she's my daughter. She's my responsibility. Yes, I have a sitter who watches her while I work, and she's had visits with Aubrey. But I'm not going to leave her home every other night so we can go out."

"Well, you don't have to do that with me," Beca said. "I know it might seem like I've got this showy, glamorous lifestyle but I actually don't like going out to all those fancy things. I like sitting around at home and eating pizza, sweatpants and that sort of stuff. If we start dating, Chloe, I'm not going to expect you to change. I'll cook for you, we can take Lucy to the park or the aquarium. If the choices are Disney movies and takeout with you guys or dresses and cameras and award shows, trust me, that's not a hard decision from where I am."

"Which brings up another point," Chloe said. "Lucy. You're great with her. And I know she likes you, but if she's not comfortable with the idea of us dating, in whatever capacity she understands that-"

"No, I understand," Beca said. "She's your priority and she should be. If she decides she doesn't like me being around that's fine. And we can take things really slow and make sure it doesn't put her off, whatever you need."

"And lastly, and most awkwardly," Chloe continued, "I can't even be delicate about this. I know you make a ton of money and we're... not in the best financial position. But I'm not looking for you to save us or make all of that go away. We don't need a savior."

"That's perfectly reasonable," Beca said. "But at the same time you need to understand that I do have a lot of cash, and I have nobody but myself to spend it on. Which gets old very quickly. So we can make a deal. You'll let me treat you and Lucy sometimes, within reason. I'm not going to do anything outrageous."

"Beca..."

"No, we'll use some kind of measure. Like... If it's something you'd let your parents or Aubrey do, you should let me do it," Beca said. "I'm not about to buy Lucy a car or anything. I mean like if we go to the zoo and I get her a stuffed toy. I don't think that's excessive." Chloe smiled broadly.

"Deal," she said. "I know it's pretty heavy to talk about stuff like this so quickly."

"But I get it," Beca said. "It's your kid. Your job is to put her above everything else. You're clearly a great mom. So, now that we've had the talk... Can I interest you guys in pizza sometime this week?"

"How about Friday?" Chloe said.

"It's a date. And would it be easier if I came to you? Keep Lucy in a familiar surrounding to start with?"

"Yeah, if that's okay with you," Chloe said. "We have a pretty solid routine."

"Chloe, I just want to spend time with you," Beca said. "Whatever is comfortable for you is fine with me." Chloe swooned a little internally. Beca was being really sweet and it seemed genuine.

"Friday, six o'clock," Chloe said. "But now I have to go to work or I'll be late." Beca smiled.

"I'll text you and find out what you guys want before I come over," she said. "See you Friday." Chloe left with a wave to the guy at the desk and headed to work. She kept thinking about Beca as she went about her day. It could only be good that she had endured the talk and still wanted to see them. It gave her a sense of hope that she hadn't really allowed herself to feel since Tom had left her pregnant with Lucy.

Friday had arrived quickly enough, and Beca had texted Chloe to let her know she was on her way with a half ham and cheese half supreme pizza. Lucy seemed completely at ease with their impending dinner guest. It was Chloe who was nervous. She sat on the edge of the couch waiting with a bouncing knee until she heard the buzzer go. She got up and hit the intercom button.

"Beca?"

"Yeah," came the easy reply.

"Buzzing you in," she replied. A few moments late she opened the door and saw Beca standing in front of her.

"Hi," she said. "Pizza's here." There was an excited squeal as Lucy realized there was pizza involved.

"Pizza!" she said. "Beca too!" She wrapped her little arms around Beca's leg in a hello.

"Hey Lucy," Beca said, then added. "And Chloe." Chloe showed her inside and they settled in the living room so Lucy could alternate between her pizza and what looked to be a collection of My Little Pony dolls on the floor. The two women again found themselves drawn into conversation, interspersed with dialogue about Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle.

Beca couldn't believe how easy it was between her and Chloe. She was used to girls being way more interested in the fame and fortune side of her life. But Chloe was more interested in where she went to school or what she liked to do when she wasn't working.

Chloe was feeling much the same way. This was their first actual date - even though they had a toddler chaperone - but it felt like they were puzzle pieces that belonged together. It felt like Beca had been sitting on her couch for many more days than just this one. Lucy began yawning and rubbing her eyes, so Chloe declared it was bed time.

"I'll clear out so you can put her to bed," Beca said.

"No, don't be silly," Chloe said. "Please stay just a bit longer." Beca met her eyes and saw a little something that said she might want her to hang around without the toddler audience. She nodded said goodnight to the redheaded toddler, and Chloe carted Lucy off, first to the bathroom and then to bed. Beca picked up the pizza box and made her way into the kitchen. She also brought the glasses they'd used in as well, smiling as she heard Chloe singing a song with Lucy. The redhead had a nice voice. Then she heard a few more murmurs and a door closing quietly. Chloe found her in the kitchen.

"Coffee?" she asked.

"Yeah, sure," Beca said. She flipped the coffee maker on and the two of them reclined against the counter top. While they waited Beca took Chloe's hand, lightly tangling their fingers. Chloe looked down and then back up into Beca's eyes a few times. Then she closed the space between them and kissed her softly, hands moving to rest on her shoulders. Beca's arms wrapped around her as the embrace intensified a little. Their tongues moved in languid strokes, and Chloe felt Beca's hand slide up her back. She was beginning to wonder if she should cool it off a little, when Beca pulled back, leaving a last soft peck on her lips.

"We don't have to hurry," she said, barely above a whisper. "We can still take it slow."

"Okay," Chloe said, cheeks pink. "But that was good. A girl misses being kissed like that after a while."

"Yeah," Beca said. The coffee machine beeped and Chloe went about pouring them both cups. But she could still feel Beca on her lips and taste her tongue in her mouth and it felt like a shame to wash it away with coffee. They drank it parked back on the couch, Chloe reaching a hand out to take Beca's again. After it was done she said she did have to go, because she had to be at work early the next day. She left after another brief embrace at the front door and a tentative plan for Sunday afternoon. Once Beca had gone, Chloe leaned against the closed door, smile wide on her face. She needed to tell Aubrey everything before she exploded.


	3. Chapter 3

It wasn't too late so she dialed Aubrey straight away and curled up on the couch. Her best friend answered after the first ring.

"Aubrey Posen."

"If you'd looked at the caller ID you would know it was me," Chloe said.

"Sorry, force of habit," Aubrey said. "What's up?"

"So Beca just left," she said.

"Hang on, you guys had a date tonight, didn't you?"

"Yeah," Chloe said. "I mean it was just pizza here with Lucy."

"And you're calling me now which means it either went really well or really badly, but you're not crying so I'm guessing it's a good call," Aubrey said.

"It was really good," Chloe gushed. "First off, Lucy adores her. And Beca is really great with her. She didn't mind the My Little Pony intrusions or anything."

"That's good," Aubrey said. She remembered back to a guy Chloe had considered dating about six months ago until he'd told Lucy that grown ups didn't have time for My Little Pony.

"It just feels really comfortable with her already," Chloe said. "I know, I'm getting carried away. But God Aubrey, she's sweet and patient and she doesn't mind that it's better for us to take things slow."

"Physically, you mean," Aubrey said. It wasn't a question, but an observation.

"What?" Chloe asked, confused.

"You've kissed her?" Aubrey asked.

"Yeah," Chloe said. "Nothing gropey, just kissing."

"So you're going slow physically, but you're talking pretty seriously about her considering there's only been one date," Aubrey said. "I'm not judging you, Chlo, I want you to be careful, that's all."

"I will."

"I just want you to be happy," Aubrey said. "It sounds like you are. But I still need to actually meet her beyond hello in an airport."

"Yeah, of course," Chloe said. "I just wanted to call and get all gushy for a minute."

"The kissing was good then, I assume?" Aubrey said.

"I even said it to her," Chloe said. "Sometimes you just miss being kissed properly."

"I know that feeling," Aubrey sighed. "Oh well. I'm glad the date went well, Chlo, and make sure you let me know when I can officially meet her."

"I will," Chloe said. "Night, Bree." She hung up and went to change for bed. She went into the bathroom to brush her teeth and when she came back there was a text on her cell.

I had a really great night. Let me know if Sunday is on or not. Chloe grinned and texted her back.

I had fun too. And I will.

The next morning as she readied breakfast for herself and Lucy, Chloe wondered if Lucy could tell that there was more between her and Beca than friendship. Or if she even knew what those kinds of relationships were. Either way she was interested to know what Lucy thought of Beca. So as she set their toast and fruit down at the table, she figured she may as well ask her.

"Hey Luce?" Chloe said. "You know Beca? With the pretty singing?"

"Yup," the toddler said.

"Do you like her?" Chloe asked.

"She's nice. She got pizza," Lucy said.

"So you like her?"

"Yup," Lucy said again, picking up a strawberry.

"Beca and mommy are friends," Chloe said carefully. "Is it okay if we all hang out together sometimes?"

"Can she sing more songs?" Lucy asked. Chloe smiled. Her daughter was very clear in her priorities. Pizza and singing.

"I'm sure if you ask her real nice with good manners she might sing you some more songs," Chloe said.

"We friends," Lucy said with a final nod. That made Chloe happy. She reached over and ruffled the toddlers red curls.

"Love you, baby girl," she said.

"Love you too, mommy," she said, blowing an exaggerated kiss at her. She giggled as Chloe dramatically caught it and planted it on her own cheek. After they finished their breakfast, Chloe loaded her into the car so they could go and do some grocery shopping.

Once they had returned and Chloe had packed away the groceries, Lucy was getting grumpy, due for a nap. She went down easily and Chloe took advantage of the quiet to enjoy a cup of coffee. She fielded a call from a coworker who had indicated she might need Chloe to cover a shift for her the next day, but it turned out she was going to be able to work. That meant Chloe would be able to see Beca again. She thought about texting her right away, but instead choose not to interrupt her Saturday, settling down with a book on the couch to relax for a moment. The moment didn't last long, her phone buzzing with a text.

Hope you guys are having a good day.

Chloe thought Beca was being downright adorable. She considered texting back, but instead called her. The brunette must have had her phone in her hand, because it barely rang at all.

"Hello?" Beca asked.

"Hi," Chloe replied. "How's your day going?"

"Good," Beca said. "I'm not working, which is a miracle. Having a rest day. I don't get those very often, so I'm taking advantage of it. Literally wearing sweatpants and eating cereal for lunch."

"Well, Lucy and I had a productive morning," Chloe said. "We did the grocery shopping. And we also talked about you."

"Oh, really?" Beca asked.

"I just asked her if she was okay with us all hanging out together and she's on board, as long as there's more pizza and singing," Chloe said. Beca laughed.

"She's a character," Beca said. "But I'm glad she's okay with it."

"And I also heard back that I don't have to work tomorrow," Chloe said.

"Awesome," Beca said. "How about the park?"

"Yeah, that sounds good," Chloe said. "Lucy likes the one on Slate Street by the Dunkin Donuts. She likes to pretend that the springed horse is a My Little Pony."

"Is it okay if I bring a friend?" Beca asked. "Stacie, my best friend. She has three year old twins. Lucy would love Lincoln and Maya."

"Sure, tell Stacie and her partner to bring the kids," Chloe said. "I always wanted to be able to give Lucy the chance to play with more kids her age."

"No husband," Beca said. "Stacie's raising the kids on her own. She got sick of waiting for the right person to come along, and she was born to be a mom. So she figured screw it and decided to do it on her own."

"Wow, with twins?" Chloe said. "How does she do it?"

"Works from home," Beca said. "And caffeine."

"I'd love to meet her," Chloe said. "My friend Aubrey wants to hang out with you, too. She said she needs to meet you beyond hello in an airport."

"Bring her tomorrow," Beca offered.

"She's working," Chloe said. "She's a doctor so there'd be no way to just flake out. But maybe we could make dinner a group affair next week sometime?"

"Yeah, definitely," Beca said. "So I'll meet you guys at the park tomorrow at about two?"

"We'll be there," Chloe said. "Enjoy your cereal."

"I always feel bad for eating cereal for lunch," Beca said. "It's weird, I'm eating Cheerios and let's be real, I could be eating any number of things that would be worse for me. I dunno, maybe it makes me feel like a failure as an adult when I can't be bothered cooking for just me."

"I don't think that's failure," Chloe said. "I guarantee, if I didn't have to feed Lucy I'd probably just eat nothing but microwave pop corn and mac and cheese."

"Woman after my own heart," Beca said. "I gotta go, but I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay," Chloe said. She put her phone down and couldn't get the grin off of her face. She figured that what Aubrey said might be true. She was getting ahead of herself, possibly, in the way she was feeling about Beca. Because even just talking to her on the phone for a few short minutes made her feel like a teenager.

The next day Chloe arrived and spotted Beca talking to an extremely tall brunette who was accompanied by a pair of kids with curly brown hair and green eyes. Beca's eyes lit up as she spotted her two redheads approaching, and she kissed Chloe on the cheek before bringing her over to introduce everybody.

"Okay everyone, this is Chloe and Lucy. Chloe, Lucy, this is Stacie and Maya and Lincoln," Beca said. Lucy immediately clutched Chloe's jeans.

"You got purple shoes," Maya said to Lucy. The two year old nodded but was still a little shy. "I don't got purple shoes but I got purple socks." She held her foot out. Lucy brightened a little. And Lincoln was absolutely bursting with energy.

"Wanna ride dragons?" he asked. Lucy shook her head.

"I ride My Little Pony?" she asked.

"Let's go," he said, holding his hand out in some kind of charge command and the three toddlers ran toward the play equipment.

"If only life was so easy," Stacie said as they followed them. "Purple shoes and invisible dragons."

"Kids," Chloe shrugged. "Your two are adorable by the way."

"Thanks," Stacie said. "I'm taking credit for that. And I love Lucy's hair, which obviously is all you. The ringlets in her pigtails are perfect."

"You both have cute kids," Beca agreed.

"I can't believe you're doing twins on your own," Chloe said. "I don't know if I'd be able to do that."

"Well, it's not easy but luckily I can work from home, and then there's people like Beca who don't mind giving me a hand if I need an hour for a hot shower and a trip to the store," Stacie said.

"That explains why you're so good with Lucy," Chloe said. "All the practice from Lincoln and Maya."

"I am their godmother, after all," Beca said. "Plus, Stace is my family. We've been friends since middle school." They'd already talked about her actual family.

"For some reason I picture you as being a total handful as a teenager," Chloe said.

"It was much the opposite actually," Stacie said. "We were both kind of quiet. Nerds. Not so much with school, but Beca was really into the music thing and I was into the computer thing. We didn't really have much time to get ourselves in trouble."

"Except for occasionally having a smart mouth," Beca said. "What about high school aged Chloe?"

"High school aged Chloe was the kid in the corner who had to wear glasses for reading," Chloe said. "But I wasn't really trouble either. I ran track for a couple years but didn't really like any of the jocks at my school. I was too much of a science nerd to fit in with them."

"Me too," Stacie said. "Beca said you were in med school?"

"Yeah," Chloe said, her stomach getting butterflies at the thought of Beca talking about her, "I put it on hold when Luce was born, there's just no way to juggle med school and a toddler as a single parent."

"No, that sounds hard," Stacie said.

"What kind of science interests you?" Chloe asked.

"Well, back then I was all about the astronomy and aerospace," Stacie said. "These days it's more computer science."

"Which involves more math than I even wanna think about," Beca added.

"Not really," Stacie shrugged. "It's more like… problem solving. At the moment my job primarily consists of people sending me an app or a software program and then I try and break it in as many ways as possible."

"That doesn't sound like problem solving," Chloe said.

"But if I can tell them how I managed to break it, they can fix it, which means when it eventually hits the market, it's better quality," Stacie said. Chloe nodded. That made sense. They spent a few minutes watching the kids play together. They seemed to be getting along just fine, which made Chloe happy. Lucy occasionally saw other kids when the sitter had her, and she sometimes worried she wasn't doing enough to socialize her daughter.

They watched for a while longer, smiling as the three young children playe together. After a while, there was a familiar tinkling song, and sure enough, an ice cream truck had pulled up near the park. Stacie sighed, knowing that her kids would hear the noise and want ice cream.

"Can I buy the kids ice-cream?" Beca asked. Stacie nodded.

"Sure," Stacie said. "They ate all their lunch. But in a cup, not a cone, or they'll just end up wearing it."

"What about Lucy?" Beca asked.

"Sure," she said. "A cup as well."

"You guys want anything?" she added, getting up. They both responded no and Beca began to jog toward the kids so she could herd them toward the ice cream van. Chloe knew Stacie would have something to say, so she just waited for it.

"Beca's very taken with you, Chloe," she said in a quiet but serious tone.

"I'm the same," Chloe replied. "I know it's not been long, but she feels very comfortable to me. But we are taking it slow, so there's no need to worry."

"She said the same thing to me, that you're taking it slow," Stacie said. "But it doesn't feel like you're taking it slow. I don't want to stick my nose in. But she talks about you and Lucy like she's already thinking really long term."

"I appreciate that you're looking out for her," Chloe said. "You sound like my best friend Aubrey. She's saying the same things. And it's not our intention to rush things, Stacie. We talk a lot. And it's nice to have someone to talk to."

"Beca's been pretty lonely for a while," Stacie said. "She'd never admit it, but the touring life really messes with her. Because there are people everywhere, and she's not really a fan of the people that come with her job. She just wants to make a proper connection."

"Beca's one of the first people I've ever met who managed to sit through the 'How To Date A Single Mom' talk and still want to date me," Chloe said. "I'm not looking for her to complete some missing part of my family, but I like her a lot, and so does Lucy. She makes me smile."

"But you're thinking long term as well?" Stacie said. "I don't want Beca getting hurt."

"I'd love this to be long term," Chloe said. "It feels solid to me. Though the mitigating factor in that is actually going to be Lucy. Because if she decides that Beca being around is too much of a change to her routine and can't handle that, then as much as I enjoy spending time with Beca, I have to do what's right for her."

"I'd do the same," Stacie said. "But just… keep talking about it with her, okay? About the fact that you want it to be long term, too, and navigating the stuff with Lucy."

"I still can't believe she's even dating me," Chloe said. "She could pretty much pick anyone on the planet."

"When Beca got off that plane," Stacie said, "She told me she'd met the most beautiful woman she'd ever seen. That she'd had an adorable daughter. That she'd do anything to see them again because you were cute and easy to talk to and smart and funny." Chloe blushed.

"I'm not telling you this to inflate your ego," Stacie said. "I'm telling you because you should know that Beca doesn't venture out like this much. She's very reserved. I like you, what I know of you. Because Beca's happy, and that's the number one thing I want for her. She deserves it."

"I promise I'll keep her happy," Chloe said. "Because she makes me happy, and she makes my daughter happy. And we deserve that, too." The kids were coming back with Beca so they stopped their serious talk and instead switched the talk to the ice-cream that had put such gleeful expressions on their faces. Lucy dropped down onto the grass with the twins to eat her ice-cream, concentrating very hard to get small spoonfuls from the cup to her mouth. She was a little over halfway done when she'd declared that she'd had enough.

"Wanna finish it?" Beca asked, holding the cup out to her. Chloe shook her head.

"No, thanks," Chloe said. Stacie was tugging a travel pack of wipes from somewhere in her handbag and lining the kids up for a cleanup of their hands and faces.

"Okay, munchkins," she said. "You can play another ten minutes, but then we gotta go, babies. Aunty C is coming to hang out with you guys while I talk on the TV."

"Skype conference," Beca explained to Chloe. The kids clamored back onto the playground, and Chloe's heart swelled seeing Lucy so happy.

"Hopefully we can get the kids together again," Chloe said to Stacie. "Looks like they've really hit it off." Stacie could only agree. The three of them were using a small climbing platform as a stage, singing Let It Go in raucous fashion. The adults applauded loudly when it was done, prompting another performance from the kids.

After they'd mumbled their way through two more drawn out Disney numbers, Stacie declared they'd have to go. She corralled Lincoln and Maya and told Beca she'd see her the next day.

"And it was nice to meet you, Chloe. And Lucy," she said. "We should play together again soon?" Lucy nodded, her bright blue eyes widening.

"Bye!" she said to Lincoln and Maya. Stacie headed toward a car, but Beca turned to Chloe.

"You guys got dinner plans?" Beca asked.

"No," Chloe said. "But if you want to come back to mine we can cook?"

"That sounds nice," Beca said. "Hey, Luce, do you mind if I join you and your mom for dinner?"

"You wanna have pizza?" Lucy asked. Chloe laughed.

"How about something different tonight?" she said. "Something with salad?"

"Okay," she said.

"How about… turkey burgers?" Chloe asked. Lucy looked pleased with the arrangement, so she turned to Beca. "You just want to meet us at mine so you don't have to leave your car here?"

"Do you need me to stop and get anything?" Beca asked.

"No, should be fine, I shopped yesterday," Chloe said. "I'll see you soon." They got home and Chloe figured it might be time to put Lucy in a bath. She ran the tub and before she stripped her daughter off she shot a quick text to Beca telling her the front door was unlocked. She heard it open and close a short while later and stuck her head into the hall so she could see Beca.

"Down here," she said. Beca came down the hall. "She's almost done."

"That's fine," Beca said. "Why don't you finish up with her and I'll get started with dinner?" Chloe nodded and Beca disappeared into the kitchen. She got Lucy out of the bath and dried her off, dressing her in pajamas and bringing her into the living room. She turned the TV on to My Little Pony and Lucy squealed delightedly, running up to a little pink and purple flip out sofa and sitting down.

"Beca and Mommy are just going to cook dinner, okay?" Chloe said. Lucy nodded but her eyes were on the screen. She headed into the kitchen where Beca was chopping salad ingredients and there was already turkey breast marinating in a bowl. But her eyes tracked to a vase of colorful flowers on the bench.

"You brought flowers?" Chloe said.

"I know you said you didn't need anything, but…" Beca just shrugged. Chloe leaned over and kissed her soundly. Beca's hand curled around the back of her neck and when they broke apart a smile played on her lips. Chloe just leaned in and brushed another kiss to her lips.

"You're something else, Beca Mitchell," she said.

"Yeah, you're pretty great as well," Beca replied with a smile. They turned back to the food in front of them.


	4. Chapter 4

They managed to catch up with Aubrey for dinner on Friday, even though they saw each other twice more before that. The blonde joined them for dinner at Chloe's house, and finally got to have a conversation with Beca. She'd waited til Chloe took Lucy off to bed, naturally, before turning to the brunette.

"Hit me with it," Beca said, leaning back into the couch.

"With what?" she asked.

"The questions, whatever they are," Beca said. "I'm prepared for it."

"You're dating my best friend," Aubrey said.

"Yes," Beca said.

"My best friend, who is a single mom, who has seen quite enough shit for a lifetime," Aubrey continued. "So I won't lead off with questions, if that's alright with you. I'll start by being frank. If she or Lucy get hurt in this, I don't give a rats ass how famous you are, I'm going to make your life very unpleasant."

"I understand your concern," Beca said. "And trust me, hurting Chloe and Lucy isn't something I'm planning on doing."

"What _are_ you doing, Beca?" she asked. "Because even though Chloe says she's taking it slow, she's pretty smitten. And I worry about her."

"Honestly?" Beca said. Aubrey just stared at her. "I don't know what I'm doing. Because I've never done this. I've never met a nice, beautiful, _normal_ stranger in a random place and had them stay on my mind for hours afterwards. All I know is that on the few occasions that I've hung out with Chloe and Lucy, I'm… actually content." Aubrey was surprised by the honest tone in the statement.

"It seems really stupid, doesn't it?" Beca continued. "I should be happy in my day to day life, right? I'm a fucking international music star. But so much of my life is surface level, Aubrey. But this feels ten times better because nothing about what we're starting together is shallow like that. She's down to earth and smart and man, I can't even put it into words. But just because the feelings are flying around pretty fast, doesn't mean they aren't real."

"You're as bad as she is," Aubrey sighed. "You two are supposed to be taking it slow, but you aren't. Just… be careful, okay?"

"We are," Beca said. "We talk a lot. More than anything, really. And I'm not going to hurry stuff, I want Lucy to be okay with all of this."

"Okay," she said. "Best friend interrogation over."

"Good," Beca replied. "I'm glad she has someone to look out for her." Chloe returned to the living room.

"Do you want coffee?" she asked her guests.

"Not tonight," Aubrey sighed. "Got an early morning tomorrow, so I'll be off. Thanks for dinner Chlo, and tell Lucy I'll see her Tuesday."

"I will," Chloe said.

"It was nice to meet you, Aubrey," Beca said sincerely.

"Yeah, you too," she replied. Chloe walked her to the door and hugged her.

"Thanks for coming," she said.

"It's okay," Aubrey said, reassuringly. "You two are moving a lot faster than either of you seem to realize, but I like her. She feels really genuine."

"I think that's what it is," Chloe said, nodding thoughtfully. "She feels true, you know? No façade."

"Regardless, she's smitten with you and she makes you happy," Aubrey said. "That's all I want, Chlo, you know that."

"Thanks, Bree," Chloe smiled. She closed the door and headed back to the living room, where Beca was just waiting quietly, smiling as the redhead returned.

"So that's Aubrey," Beca said.

"Yep, that's my best friend," Chloe said.

"She's nice. Seems incredibly smart," Beca said. "She and Stacie would hit it off. And she's invested in your happiness, which is what you want in a best friend. And she's protective." Chloe dropped her face into her hands.

"Did she give you the third degree?" she groaned.

"It wasn't as bad as you think," Beca said. "She's worried we're moving a little too fast. Doesn't want you to get hurt. Wants to make sure I'm not a dick. I get it."

"Are we moving too fast?" Chloe asked. She settled back into the couch, immediately taking Beca's hand. "Because Stacie said the same thing. Actually she said that we're moving pretty fast but neither of us think we are."

"Yeah, that sounds familiar," Beca said. "I feel like… okay, stop me if I'm freaking you out. But you feel… right, to me. And it's one thing to say that we're going slow, and I want us to be going slow because we have to consider Lucy in all this, but they may be a little bit right. I mean, it's barely been two weeks."

"Lucy is the only thing that's stopping me from going all in," Chloe said. "She's too important, Beca."

"I know," she said. "And I understand. So even though we both feel the same like it's a bit intense, it's still best if we take it slow because it's not just us we're dealing with."

"I can still kiss you, though, right?" Chloe asked. "That's okay?" Beca leaned in a little bit further.

"That's definitely okay," Beca said. She captured Chloe's lips in a soft kiss. The redhead pushed back slightly until Beca was reclined against the arm of the couch. Pulling back for a second, she positioned herself so that both of them were comfortable before leaning back in, stopping just shy of Beca's face. The brunette reached up and gently brushed some hair out of Chloe's face. Their eyes met and Chloe was stuck. Beca wasn't looking away, just holding her gaze. She shook her head a little and then leaned back in.

She enjoyed kissing Beca, a lot. The brunette's arm wound it's way over Chloe's body and pulled her in. The redhead reminded herself to keep it slow in case she got carried away. Their tongues slid easily against one another, their lips barely breaking contact between one kiss and the next. It was taking every ounce of restraint in Chloe not to ignore their previous talk about taking things slow. Because it had been a long, long time since she felt like this. They kept making out for a while, until Chloe sat back. Her cheeks were pink and her lips were swollen.

"Everything okay?" Beca asked.

"Yeah," Chloe said. "I just… if I don't stop, I'm not going to be able to stop." Beca nodded and sat up as well.

"Then we'll stop," Beca said. "Of course. But, for the record, I really enjoy kissing you."

"Yeah, I'm enjoying the kissing quite a lot myself," Chloe said. Beca took her hand and squeezed it softly.

"I should go," Beca said. "It's getting late and it'll stop me wanting to kiss you all over again." Chloe leaned across and stole one more kiss from her.

"I think that's a smart idea," she said. "Even if I don't want you to go."

"You're not making it any easier, Chloe," Beca said with a smile. But the redhead walked her to the door anyway, knowing she'd see Beca the next day. She and Lucy were going to Beca's for lunch, the first time they'd actually been to Beca's place.

"I'll see you tomorrow," she said. She planted a final kiss on the brunette's lips and closed the door. As she tidied up and got ready to relax in bed with Netflix, she realized she hadn't stopped smiling. Then she realized that she'd been smiling a whole lot more since she met Beca.

When she and Lucy arrived at Beca's the next day, she immediately pulled Beca into a kiss.

"What was that for?" Beca asked, slightly amused. "Not that I'm complaining."

"I just realized how much happier I am when we're together," Chloe shrugged. Lucy was looking up at the two of them, spotting their joined hands. She didn't think anything of it, just clutched tight to Chloe's skirt since she was a little apprehensive.

"Do you want me to show you a really cool surprise?" Beca said, bending down to Lucy. The toddler nodded, her eyes lighting up. "Now, before you see it Chloe, you need to know this wasn't something I did for Lucy and broke our agreement. I actually bought them for Stacie's kids quite a while ago because they hang out here sometimes." She led them through the bottom level of the house to a big backyard. There was a playgym and sandpit in a corner, standing in the shade of a couple of trees.

"Wow," Chloe said. Lucy squealed happily.

"Can I play?" she asked her mother. "Please?" Chloe nodded and Lucy took off toward the sandpit. The two of them went and sat on the nearby bench seat to watch.

"Stacie's kids are adorable," Chloe said. "You should tell them to come over if they're free, I'm sure Lucy would love to see them again."

"I'll set up a play date for another day," Beca said. "They're with Stacie and Aunt C today. That's our friend Cynthia Rose. But I also just love spending time with you." Chloe leaned her head down onto Beca's shoulder, and the brunette wrapped an arm around her, fingers lazily tracing circles on her shoulder.

"Yeah, I love it too," Chloe said quietly. They sat and watched Lucy play quietly until Chloe decided it was time for a break. Lucy pouted for all of five seconds but then relented once she heard that Beca had grapes inside.

"You remembered grapes are her favorite?" Chloe asked.

"I remembered that _red_ grapes are her favorite," Beca clarified, earning a smile from the redhead. "And green apples and strawberries." They went in and Chloe took Lucy to a bathroom Beca had pointed out to wash Lucy's hands before they ate, and Beca went to get the food ready. When they reappeared, Beca went to grab a booster seat for Lucy.

"You really do have it all," Chloe said.

"I keep telling you," Beca said. "I love my godkids. Stacie and I are forever at each other's houses and that wasn't going to change just because she became a mom. I don't want her to ever feel like she's totally alone in this. I've watched the kids for her before."

"Is she worried about them not having a dad?" Chloe asked, settling Lucy down and placing her food down in front of her. Beca watched Chloe for a beat, wondering if this was really a question about Stacie or something else.

"No," Beca said. "And she shouldn't be. Those kids are her life. They're loved, they're healthy, happy and taken care of. And that's more than can be said for a lot of other kids out there. Besides, if and when she starts dating again, there's no guarantee they'll end up with a dad anyway. They could end up with two moms."

"Stacie's - "

"Into people," Beca said.

"Have you and Stacie ever… you know, hooked up?" Chloe asked.

"We made out once when we were seventeen," Beca admitted. "It was enough for us to realize how bad an idea it was. She's pretty much like my sister. And she's hot and all, but she's not my type and I'm not really hers. She's into really dominant, assertive girls."

"Oh. So her and Aubrey really would hit it off?"

"I wouldn't presume to know what Aubrey's tastes were," Beca replied. "But I'll admit that the first time I saw her I thought of Stacie. She's got a thing for blondes. How is she with kids?"

"Well, she's great with Lucy," Chloe said. "We should introduce them sometime and see what happens."

"Yeah, that'd be sweet," Beca said. She was watching Lucy, who was playing with her food more than eating it. "Everything okay, Luce?"

"My tummy hurts," she said. Chloe looked worried.

"She said the same thing this morning but I figured it was because we hadn't eaten breakfast yet," she said. She reached over and felt her daughter's head. "I can't tell if she's got a fever or was hot from running around in the yard." Beca got up and rummaged around in a cabinet until she pulled out a thermometer. She held the probe into Lucy's ear.

"She does have a slight fever," Beca confirmed. The little girl wailed suddenly and grabbed her stomach.

"Maybe I should just get her home," Chloe said. Beca looked at the little girl, watched her face pale, and grabbed her out of the chair suddenly.

"No time for that," she called, racing back down to the bathroom. She just got Lucy's head over the bathtub before she began vomiting. Chloe was half a step behind, holding the little girls' red hair back and rubbing her back steadily. Lucy was crying and her nose was running. Chloe got a little teary as well, she hated it when her daughter was sick. And she wasn't normally a pukey kid. Beca was running the tap at the sink with cool water over a washcloth and pressed it to the back of Lucy's neck. The toddler had stopped vomiting, but she was curled against her mother, still crying. Beca turned the tap on in the bath, rinsing it all out.

"You can take her home if you like," Beca said. "But if you want to stay and make sure she's okay, we can run her a cool bath upstairs and she can have a nap."

"Are you sure?"

"Chloe," Beca sighed. "Of course I am. I've had twin toddlers puke technicolor all over this bathroom after a sugar loaded carnival. You gotta start believing me when I say I'm okay with the Lucy stuff. I mean, I'm not a mom, but I can help take care of her. You don't have to do this by yourself if you don't want to." Lucy was still sniffling.

"Okay," Chloe said. "Um, there'll be clean clothes in the bag in my car. Keys are in my purse. Can you grab them?"

"Of course," Beca said. "Clean bathroom is upstairs, second door on the right. I'll be right behind you guys." She went out to Chloe's car and grabbed the entire bag, bringing it in. As she deposited the keys back into Chloe's purse, she grabbed Bunny from inside. When she got upstairs, Chloe had Lucy in a shallow bath. She looked pale and shivery.

"I've got the clean clothes when you're ready," she said. "I also brought Bunny. I'll leave them here and get a bed ready." Chloe thanked her and went back to gently washing Lucy.

Beca knew Chloe wouldn't want to be far from Lucy, even as the toddler napped. There was a guest room but the bed would be really high up and she didn't know how Lucy would go in an unfamiliar bed like that. Lincoln and Maya napped on little camp style beds in the living area sometimes, and that sounded like a much better plan. Chloe and Beca could be in the room with her, which would reassure the redhead, she knew.

She dug one out and set it up in the darker corner of the room, grabbing a pillow as well. Then she got a bottle of apple juice and a straw. She pulled the blinds, turned the overhead light off and just flicked a lamp on. When she got upstairs Chloe was drying Lucy off and dressing her.

"She's very sleepy," Chloe said, and Lucy snuggled into her.

"I've got a little bed set up downstairs where you'll be able to sit with her," Beca said. Chloe picked the little girl up, Beca bending down to fetch Bunny and pressed her into Lucy's hand.

"Thank you," the toddler mumbled.

"You're welcome sweetie," Beca said softly. "Time for a sleep?" Lucy nodded and Chloe carried her downstairs. Beca showed her the little bed and Chloe tucked her in. She made herself scarce as Chloe gave her a little of the apple juice and stroked Lucy's hair for a few moments until her eyes closed. Beca was in the kitchen when she finally fell asleep.

"Hey," Chloe said. "Sorry about the vomit."

"It's okay," Beca said. "She's asleep though?"

"Yeah," Chloe said. She moved toward the smaller woman and was about to hug her. "Oh."

"What?" Beca asked.

"I have vomit on this shirt," she said. "Motherhood."

"I'll get you a clean one," Beca said. "If you like, grab our food and we can hang out where we can still see Lucy sleeping." Beca went upstairs and fetched a clean t-shirt for Chloe. When she got back downstairs, Chloe had both of their plates and glasses in front of her. She passed the shirt to Chloe and the redhead excused herself to change.

"You look good in my clothes," Beca said when she returned.

"I really appreciate this," Chloe said. They ate their lunch quietly. When they were done, Beca took the dishes out and came back into the living room. Chloe was intently focused on her sleeping daughter.

"She'll be okay," Beca said. "Probably just a virus of some kind. Fever wasn't too high."

"I know," Chloe sighed. She leaned back into the couch and curled into Beca's side. "I just don't like it."

"No," she said. "It's not fun."

"Thanks for letting us stay here til she feels a bit better," Chloe said.

"I don't mind at all," Beca said. Chloe shook her head.

"It amazes me," she said, "That of all the things Beca Mitchell could be doing on a Saturday afternoon, she's perfectly happy to sit here with a librarian as they watch her sick toddler sleep."

"People never understand," Beca sighed. "I don't like the fame side of what I do. I don't like the lights and awards shows, and I don't like the majority of the people who do. I'm much happier here with you. Or with Stacie and the kids. Or with Cynthia Rose. People who know me as Beca Mitchell, the person, not Beca Mitchell the superstar."

"I like Beca Mitchell, the person," Chloe said. "A lot."

"And I like Chloe the librarian and mom," Beca said. "A lot." She leaned down and kissed Chloe on the head. The redhead lifted her head up and searched out Beca's eyes.

"How is it that I'm falling for you so fast?" Chloe said. "I can't figure it out." She kissed Beca softly, leaning against her.

"If I figure it out, I'll let you know," Beca replied. She pulled the redhead back down, just holding her in her arms. They soon drifted off to sleep.

They were roused from their sleep when Lucy awoke. Her eyes seemed a little clearer, but she was still pale and weak. She sat and looked around for a minute, before she realized that she wasn't at her own house.

"Mommy?" she said. Chloe moved off of the couch and went to kneel next to her daughter.

"It's okay baby, we're at Beca's house," she said soothingly. The toddler clambered into her lap. "How are you feeling?"

"Still tired," she said.

"What about your tummy, does it still hurt?" Chloe asked. Lucy shook her head. "Okay, what about some juice?" The toddler drank some more apple juice and then buried her face in Chloe's neck. The redhead could feel her mumbling.

"What was that, Luce?"

"Can we go home now?" she asked quietly. Chloe shot an apologetic look at Beca, who waved it off.

"Of course we can," Chloe said. "Get you home into your bed, okay?" Beca helped them assemble all their bits and pieces, promising to wash Chloe's shirt and return it to her.

"I feel bad that we're leaving and your bathroom is still a mess," Chloe said as they went out to the car.

"Chlo, don't worry about it," Beca said. "She's sick. Take her home, take care of her and I'll call you tomorrow and check up on her, okay?" She leaned in and kissed Chloe quickly, though the redhead held on for just a moment.

"Thanks, Beca," she said. She buckled Lucy into the car and then got in, waving before she drove away. Lucy spoke up from the back seat.

"Mommy," she said. "You kiss Beca?" Chloe glanced up to the rearview mirror and looked at her daughter.

"Yeah," Chloe said. "I kissed Beca."

"You love Beca?" she asked innocently.

"Baby girl, there is nobody in the world I love as much as I love you, I promise you that," she said. "But I do kiss her. Is that… okay?" She felt bizarre asking a two year old that kind of question.

"I like Beca," Lucy said. "She's nice."

"I'm glad," Chloe said with a smile. "I like her too."


	5. Chapter 5

Over the next six weeks, Chloe and Beca saw each other a lot. Most times it was just for dinner, or they met at the park. Stacie had tagged along a few times with the kids and now Lucy got overexcited every time they went to the park, hoping Lincoln and Maya would be there. They were still telling each other they were taking things slow, and it was still true in terms of their physical relationship. But both women were seriously enamored with the other. It was drawing near to Thanksgiving and Lucy's birthday, and Chloe was hoping Beca would spend the holiday with them.

"Hey," Chloe said, nudging her with a foot. Lucy was coloring princesses on the floor.

"What's up?" Beca asked.

"What are you doing for Thanksgiving?" she asked.

"Nothing," Beca said. "I normally just hang out at home or crash Stacie or CR's day."

"Would you like to join us?" Chloe asked. "I normally cook for Lucy and Aubrey."

"That sounds awesome," Beca said. She leaned over and kissed her. "Thanks."

"Why don't you tell your friends to come though?" Chloe offered. "We can finally introduce Aubrey and Stacie."

"Well... I think if we invite that many people we should move it to my place at least," Beca said. "Cynthia Rose will help cook, she's good with that type of thing."

"Okay," Chloe said. "It'll be nice." Beca excused herself to go to the bathroom and while she was gone, her phone rang. Chloe leaned over and saw it was just Stacie, so she answered.

"Hey Stacie, Beca's in the bathroom," she said.

"Oh, hi Chloe," Stacie said. "What are you guys up to?"

"Nothing," Chloe said. "Luce is coloring and we're just hanging out."

"Can you tell Beca to call me later?" Stacie said. "She needs to get off her ass and decide what she wants to do for her birthday next week." Chloe felt horrible when she realized she didn't even know when Beca's birthday was.

"I will," Chloe said. "But while you're on the phone Beca and I were just discussing Thanksgiving. If you and the kids are free, come to Beca's. She wants to invite you and Cynthia Rose and I'm inviting my friend Aubrey. I'll cook."

"That's a plan," Stacie said. "Gotta run. The house is suspiciously quiet which means they're probably up to something." Chloe just laughed and let her go, putting the phone down as Beca returned.

"Who was that?" she asked, sitting back down on the couch and pulling Chloe's legs across her lap.

"Just Stacie. She's in for Thanksgiving," Chloe said. "She also let slip that it's your birthday next week."

"Oh," Beca said. "Yeah."

"I felt bad for not knowing," Chloe said. "But then I realized when I told you about mine and Lucy's birthdays, you just changed the subject after that."

"I just don't celebrate my birthday much," Beca said. "Stacie will probably bring the kids over for cake. But I don't really do parties."

"And when exactly is your birthday?"

"Next Friday," Beca said. "But seriously, Chloe, presents aren't necessary. I don't need anything."

"Well I'm at least taking you out to dinner," Chloe said. "And I'll ask Aubrey to watch Lucy. We should at least be child free on your birthday date."

"You don't have to do that Chlo, I like hanging out with both of you," Beca said.

"So we'll have lunch on Saturday as well," Chloe said. "That way Lincoln and Maya can still bring you cake."

"Okay," Beca relented. She leaned over and kissed Chloe gently. "You're pretty amazing, you know that?" Chloe deepened the next kiss.

"Mommy I'm sleepy," Lucy's voice interrupted. The toddler was toting Bunny in one hand and rubbing her eyes with the other.

"Bed time?" Chloe asked.

"Beca too," Lucy said. This had only been a recent development, but if the brunette was there during bed time, she was required during the actual process of putting Lucy to bed.

"Why don't you go ahead with your mom and I'll put the crayons away and meet you there?" Beca said. Lucy nodded and scampered toward the bedroom. Beca picked up the bucket of crayons - Lucy had already put them all inside which was pretty tidy for a toddler - and coloring book, putting them on the little white shelves her stuff lived on. Then she joined her redheads in the bedroom. Lucy was already under the covers.

"You ready for bed, kiddo?" she asked. Lucy nodded.

"Can we sing a song?" she asked.

"Of course we can," Beca said, sitting next to Chloe at the end of her bed. "What song are we gonna sing?" Chloe smiled. She loved seeing Lucy's face light up when Beca sang with her at night time.

"Rainbow song!" Lucy said. Chloe wasn't surprised. They sang the same song every night. So all three of them sang along, naming colors of the rainbow. When it was done Chloe leaned down and kissed her daughter on the forehead.

"Good night baby girl," she said.

"Good night Mommy," the little girl replied. "Love you."

"Night Lucy," Beca said.

"Night Beca," Lucy yawned. "Love you." Beca grinned. That was new. They left the room, leaving the night light on and headed back to the living room. Chloe immediately pushed her up against the wall and kissed her hard. Beca didn't hesitate in responding.

"Wow," Beca said.

"I just think it's adorable watching you with her," Chloe said, tugging her forward a little so she could get her arms around her waist. "And you're also really gorgeous." Beca leaned in again. Her hands slid down Chloe's back and rested just above her ass for a beat. Chloe's hands were now making their way up her rib cage.

"It's okay," Chloe murmured into her mouth. "I think eight weeks means you're entitled to a little groping." Beca's hands immediately lowered and grabbed her ass firmly, pulling her in. Chloe whimpered and slid her hands up under Beca's shirt, fingers lightly stroking the skin until Beca was sure she'd burst into flames.

She let one hand move from her ass and slid up the front of the silky tank Chloe was wearing. As her hand closed over Chloe's right breast the redhead moaned into her mouth. Chloe broke off and began kissing down her neck, biting down at the crook and soothing it with her tongue.

"Chloe, we gotta stop," Beca said weakly. "Touching you like this is only making me want to touch you in ways we should probably avoid until we talk first."

"You're so chivalrous," Chloe said. She left one more long kiss on Beca's mouth before leading her back to the couch. "By the way, I do appreciate the fact that you're continually restraining yourself."

"It's certainly... challenging," Beca said. "But I know it's worth it."

"Should we talk about what happens when we do start sleeping together?" Chloe asked.

"I know it's a lot bigger than just sex," Beca said. "It's a relationship changing thing, especially for you and as a result, Lucy. But we also need to talk about things that might change on my end."

"Okay, like what?" Chloe asked.

"We've kept everything fairly low key so far," Beca said. "But once our relationship gets to that next level, I want you to be able to be a part of my work life when that's appropriate. And that's a big deal for both you and Lucy."

"What, like cameras and press and stuff?"

"Well the cameras aren't really that bad in Seattle," Beca said. "But people will be interested in who you are. And you need to be ready for that, the same way I need to be ready for embracing whatever form of parenting or guidance I'll be responsible for with Lucy. If I'm going to be all in with you on this, you need to be all in with me."

"I understand," Chloe said. "Can I be honest? I worry about cameras and press. Not for me, for Lucy."

"That's a valid concern," Beca said. "If this were New York I'd be just as concerned as you are. But - for the most part - people don't go after kids here. There's probably gonna be interest in a couple of shots once people hear we are dating, most likely attached to an article about me trying motherhood on or something equally weird. But they don't really go around snapping kids. California really set the precedent for that one, if you're trying to snap up shots of a kid you're pretty much a pariah."

"Then I'd be okay with it," Chloe said. "Provided Luce handles it okay. Because she's too little to really understand the concept of fame. To her you're just Beca with the pretty voice who hangs out with Mommy."

"And I find that refreshing," Beca said.

"She likes you a lot."

"If this is the point where we decide that we're going to move this into a much more committed, weighty kind of relationship," Beca said, "I should let you know that I've been thinking about significantly reducing my workload. By just sticking to recording rather than touring or promoting my own stuff."

"Beca, that sounds like you're giving things up for us," Chloe worried.

"No, I'm giving them up for me," Beca assured her. "I've wanted to cut my load for a while, but there was nothing really in my life that I could devote that time to. And I want to spend some of that time with you guys, hopefully more and more as time goes on. I want to try and grab onto this amazing kind of normality before I forget what that is. Capture the feeling while it's here."

"You really want to get serious with me like this?" Chloe asked quietly. "You're sure this is what you want? A single mom?" Her face was angled down. Beca tilted it back up.

"Chloe," she said in a soft but sincere voice. "I do want you. And Lucy. I haven't felt connected to a person like this in such a long time. And yes, we're only at two months. And we haven't slept together and we haven't even shared a bed. But I want you. And whatever I have to do to keep you guys, I am willing to do that." Chloe leaned over and kissed her tenderly.

"Then I want this too," Chloe said. "I want us."

"I don't mean moving in right away and sending out save the dates," Beca said. "Just to be clear. I mean that we've been taking things nice and slow and this chat means we're ready to go a little deeper."

"Okay," Chloe said. Her cheeks were pink and she spoke softly. "But, if you like... I would like you to stay the night. Share the bed. I mean, I know you don't have clothes and stuff-"

"I'd love that," Beca said. They turned their attention then to the television, Chloe relaxing in Beca's arms. From time to time the brunette would brush a kiss to her temple, the two of them enjoying the intimacy and silence. When they were tired, they headed into the bedroom together. Chloe found some pajamas for Beca, who went and changed in the bathroom before returning. Chloe was already changed and in bed.

"Do you need to be up at any specific time in the morning?" Chloe asked.

"Round seven," Beca said. "What time do you guys normally wake up?"

"About then," she said, setting the alarm on her phone. Beca climbed into the bed as Chloe turned the lamp off and they immediately gravitated toward one another. Chloe turned on her side and Beca slid right in behind her. Her arm draped casually over Chloe's waist, and Chloe smiled into the darkness.

"This is nice," Beca murmured.

"It is," Chloe agreed. She could feel Beca's heart beating softly against her back, a reassuring thump. It had been a long, long time since she'd let anybody but Lucy into this bed. But she trusted Beca, trusted what they had.

"Thanks for asking me to stay," Beca whispered. "It means a lot." Chloe craned backward just far enough to brush a kiss on Beca's lips, then turned back over, tightening the brunette's arm over her waist a little more.

When they woke in the morning, it was to Chloe's alarm going off. It wasn't up super loud, so Chloe must be accustomed to the noise. Beca was stirred out of sleep by Chloe moving around. She rolled over as Chloe silenced the alarm and then snuggled back into the bed for a second, pulling Beca into her arms.

"How'd you sleep?" Chloe asked.

"Really well," Beca said. "You?"

"Same," she said. "Did you want to take a shower?"

"If that's okay," Beca said. "And can I borrow a shirt? I can make the jeans last another day."

"Of course," Chloe said. "Something lacey?" Beca fake glared at her.

"No," she pouted.

"I've got a couple of dark button ups around," she said. "And tanks. Mix and match whatever you like. I'll grab you a towel and stuff."

"Thanks," Beca said. Chloe went to get up. "Hey."

"What?" she asked.

"I really enjoyed sleeping next to you," she said. Chloe broke out into a smile and leaned down for a good morning kiss.

"Yeah, so did I," she said. She went and fetched a towel and washcloth for Beca, and then went to see if Lucy was stirring. She wasn't quite there yet, so she went into the kitchen and began to make breakfast. As the weather got cooler, Lucy tended to favor oatmeal of a morning, and Chloe was just adding honey to the pot when Beca appeared. She smelled like Chloe's shower gel, and her face was scrubbed clean of all makeup.

"Hope you like oatmeal," Chloe said. Beca slid her arms around her waist and kissed her on the cheek.

"Of course I do."

"Well, can you keep an eye on this while I rustle Lucy out of bed?" Chloe asked, giving it a stir.

"Sure," Beca said. "Coffee?"

"Yeah, thanks," Chloe said. She went into her daughter's bedroom, watching as the toddler stirred.

"Morning," Chloe said softly. Lucy rolled over and sleepily opened her eyes a few times.

"Hi," she said.

"I'm making oatmeal for breakfast," Chloe said. "And Beca's here."

"Beca's here?" Lucy said.

"Yep," Chloe said. "Come on, let's go potty first and we can all have breakfast together." Lucy yawned and sat up, throwing her arms around her mother in a quick hug. Chloe snagged Lucy's unicorn slippers from under the toddler bed and helped her put them on before she took the little girl into the bathroom. Beca was serving the breakfast up as they came into the little dining room.

"Good morning, Lucy," Beca said. "How'd you sleep?"

"Good," she said. "Gonna have oatmeal?"

"Yeah, I'll stay and have oatmeal with you, if that's okay," Beca said. Lucy nodded and watched as her mother poured her some milk. Chloe pulled her chair in tight next to Lucy. Being almost three, she had a pretty good handle on feeding herself but oatmeal was messy so it was best if she was up close.

"So what's on the card for my favorite redheads today?" Beca asked.

"I'm working this afternoon," Chloe said. "Lucy will be spending the afternoon with Juliet."

"Yay Juliet!" Lucy said. "Beca coming?"

"No, sweetie, I gotta work," Beca said. "But maybe if Mommy says it's okay I can see you for dinner again and you can tell me all about what you did with Juliet."

"Okay," Lucy said. "Mommy?"

"Sounds great to me," Chloe said. Lucy turned her attention to the oatmeal in front of her now.

"Want me to bring dinner?" Beca said. "What do you feel like?"

"Honestly?" Chloe said. "I could murder a steak. Maybe my iron is low, I don't know, I just really need red meat."

"Then I will cook you a steak," Beca said. "What time do you get off?"

"Well, I finish at five, so by the time I get home it's normally about five thirty," Chloe said.

"I'll be here about six if that's okay with you," Beca said. "Steak, potatoes, some veg, maybe a glass of wine?"

"Sounds perfect," Chloe said. "Don't forget to call Cynthia Rose and invite her to Thanksgiving."

"I won't," Beca said. She caught sight of the time. "Ooh, I gotta hurry." She finished off her oatmeal quickly and ducked to the bathroom. On her way back through she assembled all of her stuff, ruffled Lucy's hair and bent down to kiss Chloe goodbye.

"I'll see you guys later," Beca said. Chloe and Lucy finished off their breakfast, and Lucy settled down to watch her morning shows. Chloe tidied the kitchen and then texted Aubrey to tell her to call when she was free. The blonde called about ten minutes later.

"What's up?" she asked.

"I need a really big favor," Chloe said. "Stacie told me last night that it's Beca's birthday next Friday. When I told Beca she was insistent that I don't get her a gift because she doesn't really like celebrating her birthday, but I did tell her I'd take her out for dinner. So I was wondering if you'd do me a huge favor-"

"You want me to watch Lucy?" Aubrey said. "Of course, Chloe. You guys haven't even had a date alone yet."

"You'd do that for me?" Chloe asked. "You know I hate to impose."

"Chloe," Aubrey sighed. "You're a single mom. And you're the best mom I know. Your entire life is planned around Lucy. But it's not imposing if you want to take your girlfriend out solo for her birthday. Hell, I'll even stay the night and you guys can spend the whole night at her place."

"Wait, seriously?" Chloe asked.

"Are you not ready for that? You're not at the sex stage yet?"

"Well, to be honest, Beca only slept over for the first time last night," Chloe said. "But we also talked about the relationship being serious. So I want to. You're sure you want to stay here with her?"

"I love my goddaughter," Aubrey said. "Of course I'll stay."

"Thanks. You're the best, Bree, what would I do without you?"

"Never get laid," Aubrey joked.

"Oh, and while I've got you, you're invited to Thanksgiving at Beca's," Chloe said. "I'm still cooking but she's inviting Stacie and her friend Cynthia Rose so we need the extra space, since Stacie will have the kids."

"Deal," Aubrey said. "Let me know what to bring and I'll be there."

"Okay I will," Chloe said. "I'll talk to you soon." Chloe hung up with a big smile on her face. She knew Beca was very clear about the no present thing, but surely if the present was a child free evening and night, she wouldn't turn it down.


	6. Chapter 6

Beca's birthday rolled around soon enough and Chloe was leaving the apartment having kissed Lucy and promising she'd be back in the morning. Aubrey could tell she still felt bad, but told her to get out and go have a good time already. It was hard, she'd never actually been away from Lucy overnight before.

"We'll be fine," Aubrey said. "And you can call her before bedtime."

"Okay," Chloe relented. She left the apartment and tossed her bag into the back seat. Beca knew, obviously, that Aubrey was watching Lucy, but what she didn't know was that Aubrey was staying the night. It was going to be a surprise. She drove to Beca's house and rang the bell. She heard the clunk of Beca's boots behind the door and smiled as she opened it.

"Hi," the brunette said, leaning over to kiss her softly. "You look beautiful."

"Thanks," Chloe said, "and happy birthday." She pulled Beca in for a deeper kiss this time, arms settling around her shoulders.

"Thank you," Beca said.

"I have a surprise for you," Chloe said.

"I thought I said no presents," Beca said. Chloe took her hand.

"I didn't buy anything, it's a different kind of surprise," Chloe said. "Aubrey's staying with Lucy tonight."

"Yeah."

"No, all night," Chloe said pointedly. Beca's face changed and she realised what she meant.

"Oh really?" Beca said. Chloe nodded. "So you're staying over?"

"If that's something you think you'd like on your birthday," Chloe said teasingly.

"I definitely like the sound of that," Beca said. "You're okay being away from Lucy, though?"

"It's one night and she's twenty five minutes away," Chloe said. "Aubrey will kill me if I can't make it one night."

"We can call her later if you like," Beca said.

"Mm, after dinner," Chloe said. "Speaking of which, we have a booking to keep." Beca grinned and patted her pockets before she followed Chloe outside, pulling the door locked behind her.

Dinner was good - the two of them sat on opposite sides of the table making eyes at each other over the food and wine. Beca kept telling Chloe how beautiful she looked and making her blush.

"You know I only tell you these things because they're true," Beca said. "Trust me. You look gorgeous all the time, but I've never seen you dressed up like this before and wow, Chloe."

"You look great, too," Chloe replied. When dinner was finished Beca helped Chloe on with her coat and took her hand as they walked back toward the car. Once inside Beca paused before starting the car.

"Do you want to call Lucy and say goodnight?" she asked. "It's getting late." Chloe nodded and pulled her cell out of her purse, dialling Aubrey's phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Bree, just wanted to check in and say good night to Lucy," she said. "Everything's okay?"

"Yep. We ate all our dinner and built a blanket fort for us to eat our strawberries and grapes in," Aubrey said. "Good timing though, because she's starting to rub her eyes. I'll put her on."

"Mommy?" Lucy's voice came.

"Hey there baby," Chloe said. "You having fun with Aunt Bree?"

"She made sketti," Lucy said. "And a fort."

"Sounds like you're having a great time," Chloe said. "But time for bed now, okay? I love you so much and I'll see you in the morning."

"Love you mommy," Lucy said. There was a rustle as the toddler handed the phone back to Aubrey.

"We've been singing the rainbow song at bedtime," Chloe informed her. "And she's pretty much nailed the potty training thing so she should be fine."

"It's all good here, Chlo. Just enjoy your night out and I'll see you in the morning," Aubrey said.

"Thanks Bree," Chloe said. "See you tomorrow." She hung up.

"Everything's fine?" Beca said.

"Yep," Chloe said. Beca put the car into gear and headed toward her house. It was silent for a few moments before the brunette broke it.

"Chlo?"

"Yeah?"

"I know it meant a lot for you to leave Lucy at home for the night, and I really appreciate that," Beca said, "But if you're not ready for us to, you know, start sleeping together, I will wait."

"I know you would," Chloe said. "But I am ready. I promise I am."

"Okay," Beca said. "Just checking." She drove them back to her house, Chloe stopping to grab the bag from her car. Beca unlocked the door and guided Chloe upstairs. She put some music on softly in the upstairs sitting room as Chloe put the bag inside Beca's bedroom, and then the two of them removed their shoes and sat outside on the balcony. Beca's arm curled around Chloe as the redhead burrowed into her side.

"Looks like it's going to rain," Chloe remarked.

"Yeah," Beca nodded. "It's actually kind of nice here when it rains, you just watch it roll across."

"A lot of my friends back home don't understand what I mean when I tell them the rain is pretty," Chloe said. "It's... calming. And refreshing."

"Well, I know what you mean." They lapsed back into silence. Chloe shivered after a while, so Beca suggested they go inside.

"Do you want a drink or some coffee or something?" Beca asked. Chloe shook her head and pulled the brunette in for a soft but tender kiss. Beca wound her arms around Chloe's waist as they continued. The kisses grew longer and more intense, and Chloe eventually moved her hands to the buttons on the silky shirt Beca was wearing.

The brunette pulled back far enough to give her room to navigate the tiny buttons before pulling her back in, leaving a lingering kiss on her lips as she undid the clasp at the top of Chloe's dress with one hand, chasing the zipper down slowly. They quietly made their way to the bedroom, Beca needing to check just once more that Chloe was okay with how things were going.

"You're okay?" she whispered quietly. The redhead nodded and moved toward her.

"I'm okay, Beca," she said, "I want this. I want you." Beca pushed the dress from her shoulders, letting her eyes lazily rake over the other woman's body.

"You're gorgeous," Beca said. She stripped her shirt off and waited for a beat as Chloe slowly removed her bra. The redhead reached out for her, pulling her close enough to unhook hers as well. Once they were finally flesh on flesh the kisses became a new thing entirely. Long, hot and teasing, as hands moved over slightly chilly skin. Chloe unbuttoned Beca's pants and as they slid to the floor began backing them into the bed. As they got there, Beca twisted around, reversing their positions.

The brunette landed on top of her, eyes locking as she smiled down into the face of the gorgeous woman below her. Chloe bit down on her lip softly. Her body was heating up and she was ready - so ready - to do this with Beca. The brunette settled a leg in between Chloe's own, and their lips met again. There was the slightest hint of pressure from Beca's thigh as she rocked upward to reach her lips.

It was enough to wrench a slight moan from Chloe, and her hands clung to Beca's back for a split second. She soon moved them around to Beca's chest, grasping at her breasts. She let her thumbs flick over the nipples and palmed them through the next bruising kiss. A low moan came from Beca's throat and she let her teeth dig into Chloe's bottom lip. The redhead felt a steady hand smoothing up her side starting at her waist and gliding up over her rib cage and then back down slightly.

Their bodies were pressed tight together as they continued, hell bent on consuming as much of the other as possible. Chloe's hand slid into Beca's underwear and tried to push it down. The brunette took the hint and wrestled it off before removing Chloe's as well.

Beca slowed down now, leaving insistent but languid kisses on Chloe's lips. She moved to her neck, then downwards. She kissed her way across her collarbone and down her chest, pausing to lavish attention on her breasts. Then she moved lower again, Chloe starting to suck heavy breaths in. As wet lips trailed across her abdomen she could only sigh. Beca's hands gripped her hips and lifted her slightly.

"Supposed to be - your - birthday," Chloe managed through heavy panting.

"And this is what I want," Beca said. "More than anything." Chloe lifted her head enough to see the dark blue eyes made even darker with desire. She let her head fall back at the first touch of her tongue. Beca kept her actions soft and steady, adding a single finger. Chloe whimpered as the flat of her tongue swept over her clit.

The single finger became two and her mouth moved back upwards, remembering to tease the sensitive spot by Chloe's hipbone, and pausing to suck and nip at her peaking nipples. The two became three as she affixed her lips back to Chloe's in a deep and hungry kiss. As much as the redhead wanted to keep kissing Beca, she was needing to suck in air more as she approached her peak. Beca's hand curled and her thumb took over the ministrations at her clit. Chloe bucked hard and a broken moan erupted from her mouth as she came.

Beca softly kissed along her jawline as she slowed her hand before removing it entirely. Chloe turned and captured her lips with her own as she regained a normal breathing pattern. She let her tongue curl and slide it's way into Beca's mouth and rolled them over so she was straddling Beca's thighs. She sat up momentarily, taking a moment to regard the woman below her, raking her nails down the soft, pale skin of her torso. She felt Beca buck upward beneath her and bent down to fuse their mouths together.

Chloe could feel just how wet Beca was as she slipped between her legs, sticky evidence of her desire already coating her inner thighs. She decided not to make her wait, and bit down on the crook of her neck as she entered her with two fingers. Beca let out a groan of satisfaction as she did, head thrusting back against the pillow in ecstasy.

Chloe was fascinated by the responses of the body beneath her, eyes glued to the tiny brunette's form as she continued. She let one hand roughly enclose a breast and shifted downward. She wanted - no, she needed - to know how Beca tasted. She let her tongue gently move over the other girl's opening and felt a hand tangle into her hair. As she let her tongue explore a little deeper the grip got a little harder, the brunette swearing in breathy tones.

Chloe decided she quite liked the sound of that, so she kept going, relishing every single noise out of Beca's mouth. The brunette was drawing close and suddenly the hand was tugging her up again, so she let her fingers take over, meeting Beca's eyes and leaving a fierce kiss on her lips as she tumbled over the precipice into orgasm. Eyes snapped shut and head tilted back, Chloe could only stare at Beca's stilled form as it washed over her.

As Beca breathed deeply and relaxed in a state of satisfied bliss, Chloe lay down next to her with a broad smile on her face. That had been good. Better than good. Her body was buzzing in that I-just-had-great-sex way, and it had been way longer than she would care to admit. But the wait seemed worth it now.

Beca rolled over and planted a kiss just under her ear, throwing an arm over her midsection. Chloe turned into her and met her lips again. Their kisses were languid and messy, interspersed with soft laughter as they made out. Chloe found herself pinning Beca to the bed again, struck by how beautiful she was, and how happy she was in this moment.

"What are you thinking?" Beca asked. Chloe settled down back next to her.

"Just how happy I am right this second," Chloe said.

"Yeah, a good roll in the hay does wonders," Beca said. Chloe rolled her eyes and elbowed the brunette as she cracked up.

"I'm serious, asshole," Chloe said with a fake pout. Beca rolled over and kissed her into submission.

"I'm sorry," Beca said. "But I am, too. Really happy. And I can't think of anything else I'd rather be doing than laying here with you right now."

"And just like that you go from wisecracking asshole to super smooth," Chloe said. "Which is just one of the things I adore about you."

"Oh, tell me more," Beca said, propping her herself up on one elbow and batting her eyelashes dramatically.

"Well, you're super smoking hot," Chloe said, running a hand appreciatively over the curve of her hip. "But on top of that you're really sweet and thoughtful, and you're so amazing with Lucy. She adores you almost as much as I do. And you're smart and generous and you're fiercely protective of and loyal to your friends."

Beca had quieted down in the face of Chloe's seriousness. She pulled the redhead down for a soft and tender kiss.

"So," Chloe said, "I hope this was an enjoyable birthday."

"It's ranking pretty damn high on the Beca Mitchell scale of birthdays," the brunette said. "Good food, better company, ending the day in bed with a gorgeous redhead who makes me smile, completely satisfied by the excellent sex we just had. There's just one thing left to do."

"What's that?" Chloe asked.

"There are chocolate cupcakes downstairs," Beca said. "I'm thinking we eat cupcakes in bed."

"That sounds pretty good to me," Chloe said. "You stay here, I'll go get them. Want a drink?"

"Just some water," Beca said, sitting up and tying her hair back. "For some strange reason I'm quite thirsty." Chloe got out of bed and headed down stairs, throwing a little extra sway into her hips for Beca's benefit. She found the cupcakes and grabbed two bottles of water. When she got back into bed she handed one of each to Beca, both of them putting their bottles on the matching nightstands either side of the bed.

"Want me to sing to you?" Chloe asked.

"Definitely," Beca said. Chloe began singing Happy Birthday, but by the time she got to 'Happy birthday, dear Beca', the brunette was kissing her again.

"What about the cake?" Chloe said against her mouth. Beca fumbled around and relocated the cupcakes in question to a safer location.

"Cake can wait," she said, kissing her again and silencing any further complaints.

After a second equally satisfying round, Chloe was guzzling down her water. Beca was laying back on the bed with her hands tucked behind her head, content and smiling.

"You have a nice voice," she remarked casually. "Pure."

"You think so?" Chloe asked. "I used to sing a bit during school but never really took it seriously."

"No, it's good," Beca said. Chloe handed her a cupcake and she sat up to eat it.

"I'll take your word for it," Chloe said. "Since you're the professional and all. So thank you for the compliment. What time are we having lunch tomorrow?"

"I think you mean today," Beca said pointedly. "But Lucy normally has a nap around what, eleven? So bring her around after she wakes up, so it'll be like, twelve thirty, one o'clock by then. Stacie will have Lincoln and Maya here about twelve."

"You even know what time Lucy takes a nap?" Chloe asked.

"I know that she doesn't always take a nap but when she does it's around then," Beca said. "And you've also said she'll be more likely to have a nap if something in her day has made her tired, and I assume her first night without Mommy will probably disrupt the routine a little, so she'll be tired in the morning."

"You're pretty good at this parenting thing," Chloe said.

"I'd never presume to refer to myself as her parent," Beca said. "That's a privilege that would come with time, hopefully. But I care about her, and you guys as a family unit."

"Do you want kids someday?" Chloe asked, finishing off her cupcake and then grabbing her water bottle. Beca hesitated. "What?"

"I'm going to be very honest here," Beca said. "I was kind of ambiguous on the kids thing for a long time. Kind of convinced I didn't need a family of my own and I could just piece the bits I needed together from my friends. But you and Lucy have swayed me, I guess. I know we're still early days but Lucy's a pretty great kid. So I'm open to kids. Whether it's just Lucy, or more kids down the track, well, that's probably a discussion for another day."

"You think about us that far down the track?" Chloe asked.

"Yeah, sometimes," Beca admitted. "Does that scare you?"

"It's… not scary," Chloe said, getting under the covers now. "It's new. Because I tend not to think long term this quickly, but I do with you."

"What about you?" Beca said. "More kids one day?"

"I'm pretty happy with the one I have for now," Chloe said. "But that could change later on, who knows? I wouldn't rule it out."

"So me being all serious honestly didn't freak you out?" Beca asked. "I've worried that I'm getting too serious too soon."

"I'm not freaked out," Chloe said. "I'm kind of the same. It's like Bree and Stacie keep saying, we've been trying to go slow this whole time, but when the pieces fit together this easily it seems a waste of time, don't you think?"

"You're saying we fit together well so why pretend we're still figuring out where the puzzle pieces go," Beca said.

"Good analogy," Chloe said. Beca smiled at her.

"Big spoon or little spoon?" she asked.

"Um, size would dictate I would be the big spoon," Chloe said.

"Screw size, I'll hold you if you want," Beca said, flicking the lamp off. They wriggled into position, Beca wrapped around Chloe. The redhead admitted she quite liked the feeling of Beca's arm over her.

"It feels good," she said. "Safe. Secure."

"I'm glad," Beca said. She kissed the back of her shoulder. "Get some sleep, we've got to get up early so you can get back to Lucy." The warm breath of the woman tucked into the back of her neck was steady and comforting, and Chloe was soon asleep.

Beca woke her at seven in the morning so she could be back for Lucy fairly early. Chloe took a shower and was greeted by Beca holding a cup of coffee delivering it with a firm kiss.

"Tell me you at least have time for coffee," Beca said. Chloe took the mug from her.

"I always have time for coffee," she said. "Thank you."

"So after lunch this afternoon I was hoping you could hang around for a while?" Beca asked.

"Everything okay?" Chloe asked, brow furrowing.

"Yeah, definitely," Beca said. "But we took a pretty big step last night and we should talk about it."

"It's a date," the redhead said. "Just so you know, last night was amazing for me."

"Me too," Beca said. "I need a shower. Finish your coffee and go home to Lucy, I'll see you later."

"Yeah you will," Chloe said. "Lucy has been so excited to give you her present she's ready to jump out of her skin."

"I said no presents," Beca said. "But for Lucy I will make an exception. It's the red hair. Sucker for a redhead."

"Don't I know it," Chloe said with a wink. Beca leaned in for another kiss and then headed to the bathroom, so Chloe quickly amassed her things and left, leaving her mug in the sink and a note with a heart pinned to the refrigerator.


	7. Chapter 7

Lucy was about jumping out of her skin by the time Chloe knocked on Beca's door. Upon hearing that it was Beca's birthday she insisted upon making the woman a present and wearing a pretty dress to the party. Knowing Lincoln and Maya would be there was even more exciting so the almost-three-year-old was bursting. Beca answered the door and smiled at the overexcited toddler.

"Happy birthday Beca!" she said, wrapping her arms around the woman's legs. Beca bent down and picked the toddler up so she could hug her properly.

"Thank you, Lucy," Beca said. "I love this pretty purple dress you have on."

"It's my party dress," she said proudly. Beca put her down and kissed Chloe quickly before the toddler interjected again. "Mommy has a present for you from me."

"Well, I will open that straight away, so let's go through to the back because Lincoln and Maya are here with Stacie," Beca said.

"Yay! Link and Maya," she said. The three of them went through to the backyard. Upon seeing the new arrivals, the toddlers in the sand pit ran over to say hello. Chloe gave Stacie a quick hug and was introduced to Cynthia Rose who had also tagged along. Lucy was itching to play but wanted to also give Beca her present. She tugged on her mother's jeans until she dug the gift out of her bag. Beca unwrapped it eagerly.

"Wow!" she exclaimed. "Did you make this all yourself, Lucy?" It was a picture she'd made using stickers and glitter and pink and purple crayons and framed in a polka-dot frame.

"Yup," the little girl said proudly. "Mommy helped with the glue."

"But other than that it was all Lucy," Chloe advised. "She even picked out the frame."

"Well, I love it," Beca said. "Thank you." Lucy beamed and then ran off to play with the twins as Cynthia Rose grabbed a round of drinks for them. They settled in a shady part of the yard where they could still watch the kids playing and chatted for a while before they decided it was time to eat.

They hadn't gone too extravagant for lunch, just ordered a platter of sandwiches from a nearby deli. They ate sitting around a big table on the deck, before Stacie disappeared inside and came back with a cake.

They all sang Happy Birthday to Beca before eating the cake and watching the kids play some more. After a while Stacie declared she needed to get the kids home, and Cynthia Rose also indicated it was probably time for her to head out. Chloe tidied up a bit while Beca farewelled the others, and then they came into the living room.

"Want to talk?" she asked Beca after she arrived back.

"Yeah," Beca said.

"I'm sure Lucy could be swayed to hang around for a little while," Chloe said. Beca nodded. She already knew what would work a treat.

"Hey sweetie do you wanna watch Tangled while mommy and I talk?" Beca asked. Lucy nodded and Beca set the movie up for her. Chloe got her some juice from the kitchen as well as coffee for Beca and herself and they settled on the couch, just relaxing for a few minutes.

"So about last night," Beca said. "I don't think it's going to change too much about us, honestly."

"Neither do I," Chloe agreed. "I feel like we were ready for it."

"We definitely were," Beca said. "And I'm not suggesting we move in together or anything, but I'd like to stay the night some more. Not for sex, unless that's what you want because I definitely wouldn't turn it down. I like being with you last thing at night and first thing in the morning."

"I love it too," Chloe said. "I know I'm pretty clear about being happy with my life but some mornings it's hard being in bed all alone and knowing that everything coming is your responsibility."

"But I also wanted to say that you and Lucy should feel free to stay here," Beca said. "I know she's more comfortable in her own room and everything, but I'm more than happy to have you guys here. And I'm willing to turn a guest room into Lucy's room."

"Beca that's very generous but it feels like... Too soon?" Chloe said.

"I just want her to have a place here," Beca said, her face falling a little bit. "Because I'll stay at your place any time but if you bring her here, like, none of the guest bedrooms are really toddler friendly. I'm trying to open up my house to you guys."

"I know and I understand," Chloe said. "But that's a lot of money-"

"So this is about money," Beca sighed. "Chloe I don't care about money."

"Which is easy to say when you have tons of it," Chloe said.

"I just want to do whatever it takes so that you and I and Lucy can be together wherever and whenever," Beca said. "Does Lucy have a room at your parents place?"

"Of course she does," Chloe said.

"And you and I are serious about this relationship?"

"You know I am," Chloe said.

"And what was the rule? If it was something you would let your parents do?" Beca asked. "Look I can see you're hesitant so I'll drop it. But think about it, okay? " Chloe nodded and they fell back into silence. She could tell Beca was upset at how the conversation had gone but she could also tell the brunette was done talking about it.

When Lucy and Chloe were ready to leave after the movie, Beca still kissed her and told her to call her the next day but it was like something had changed in her eyes. Chloe felt horrible. Beca had tried to do something nice and she'd pretty much shot her down over something stupid like money. By the time she got home she was cursing herself but instead of calling Beca she called Aubrey.

"Hey Chlo, what's up?" Aubrey asked.

"Nothing. Got dinner plans?" Chloe replied.

"Not anything exciting," Aubrey said.

"Wanna come over? I'll order pizza," she said. Lucy cheered.

"Everything okay?" Aubrey asked. "Because correct me if I'm wrong but this morning you were over the moon and happy and now you sound bummed out."

"I'll tell you when you get here," Chloe sighed.

"Do I need to go and kill Beca Mitchell?" Aubrey said. "Because I don't give a shit if she's famous I'll slit her throat."

"No, nothing remotely that dramatic," Chloe said. "See you soon."

Aubrey soon arrived with a bottle of red. Chloe had already bathed Lucy and changed into something more comfortable. The pizza was on it's way so Aubrey simply poured them each a glass as Lucy played with her alphabet puzzle at the table.

"So tell me what happened," Aubrey said.

"We were talking about last night and how we both wanted to sleep over a little more," Chloe said. "And then Beca says she wants us to be able to sleep over at her place too, offered to turn one of her spare rooms into a room for Lucy and I said no."

"Why'd you say no?" Aubrey asked.

"At first I said it was too soon but I just didn't like the idea of her spending that much money on us," Chloe said. "And now I feel bad because I'm pretty sure I hurt her feelings and all she was doing was trying to be nice."

"Do you actually think it's too soon?" Aubrey asked. Chloe shook her head.

"No I don't," Chloe replied. "It's so dumb, Bree. I just assumed she would always stay here. But that makes absolutely no sense because if we ever get to a point where we think about moving in together, it's not going to be here, it's more than likely going to be there."

"Do you want sympathetic best friend Aubrey or frankly honest best friend Aubrey?" the blonde asked.

"Second one, please."

"Okay. First, Beca should have listened when you said you weren't sure. But Chlo, you guys need to talk about the money thing again. If the relationship is evolving, the parameters do, too," she said. "And that's not even just about money. It's about Lucy. Because Beca isn't her mom but Lucy is two. That means regardless of parentage, if this goes on as long term as you guys think it will, Beca's going to be some kind of parental figure to that girl. Say you and Beca make it to ten years, there's a good chance she won't even know Beca's not her mom unless you explicitly tell her."

"Oh," Chloe said.

"And Beca's going to want to know where the boundaries are for Lucy. Like rules. And routines. And yes, discipline if the situation requires it down the track. You guys have talked a little, but there's so much left to consider," Aubrey said.

"This why you're my best friend," Chloe sighed. "And I just worry, you know? What happens when the press get a hold of this and all of a sudden I'm made out to be like some gold digging single mom mooching off of the biggest name in music?"

"Have you talked to Beca about that?" Aubrey asked.

"No," Chloe said. "But I will. Do you mind keeping an eye on Lucy while I call her quickly?"

"Of course not," Aubrey said.

"If the pizza guy comes my purse is on the table," Chloe said, picking up her cell. She went into her bedroom and dialled Beca.

"Hello?" the brunette's voice came.

"Hey," Chloe said softly. "Um, I didn't like how we left things this afternoon. And I overreacted and I'm sorry."

"No, I should have listened when you said it was too soon," Beca said.

"No, Beca. It's not too soon, it's just... There's a lot we need to talk about. I didn't realize just how much," she said. "But Aubrey told me a few hard facts about things neither of us have really considered and we need to take care of that."

"Okay," Beca said slowly.

"But I'm not breaking up with you," Chloe assured her. "I'm not rethinking how serious things are. We just need to talk."

"Okay," Beca said again with a much more relieved tone. "I'm glad. Because last night was really important to me. And it was amazing."

"Can I see you soon so we can talk?" Chloe asked. "I feel like we should have this talk face to face."

"Um, sure," Beca said. "I've got a few work type things booked in for tomorrow with CR but what about Monday?"

"Yeah, that sounds great," she said. "Are you working all day?"

"Yeah, but I'll come for dinner," Beca said.

"You should stay the night," Chloe said. "If you want."

"I will," Beca said. "I'm glad you called, Chloe."

"You're not upset are you?"

"I don't know if I was upset, but it just didn't really go the way I anticipated," Beca said. "But we'll talk about all of that Monday."

"We also gotta start talking about Thanksgiving plans," Chloe said. "But let's save it for Monday."

"Okay," Beca said. "I'll text you or something tomorrow."

"Okay," Chloe said. She hung up and returned to the kitchen, where Aubrey and Lucy were already getting started on the pizza.

"You guys okay?" Aubrey asked. Chloe grabbed a couple of slices and put them on a plate as she sat down.

"Yeah," Chloe said. "We're going to sit down Monday night and talk it all out properly, but things are okay."

"I'm glad," Aubrey said. "Now that we've talked about your dramatic portion of the weekend, we should talk about Friday night."

"What about Friday night?" Chloe asked, confused.

"About how it went with you two," Aubrey said.

"Bree, I'm not talking about that kind of thing with Lucy sitting right there," she replied, her cheeks coloring rapidly.

"She's not even listening," Aubrey protested. "And I don't want details. Just tell me it was good and I'll be happy with that."

"It was better than just plain old good," Chloe said. "It was incredible. And I'm not just saying that because it's been a long time."

"I am actually jealous of your love life and you've only slept with her once," Aubrey said.

"Been a while for you, too, huh?" Chloe said.

"I just can't stand all the people at the hospital," Aubrey said.

"On that front," Chloe said. "Would you be open to maybe meeting a friend of Beca's? She thinks you're her type."

"Well that would depend on the friend," Aubrey said.

"It's Stacie," Chloe said. A look of comprehension dawned on Aubrey's face.

"Stacie with the twin three year olds, Stacie?" Aubrey asked.

"Yes," Chloe said. "Is that too weird?"

"I'm not so stupid as to preclude a woman purely because she has kids," Aubrey said. "Tell me about her though, you know I'm not one for going in blind."

"Well she's very pretty," Chloe said. "Tall. Brown hair, green eyes. Not being crude or anything but great body. And she's really smart. Working in a computer related field at the moment testing apps and software. But she's really a massive science nerd, apparently. Her and Beca have been friends for a really long time. And she's funny, doesn't deal with bullsh- crap." She glanced over at her daughter to make sure she hadn't caught the language slip up at the end.

"I'll meet her," Aubrey said.

"She'll be at Thanksgiving," Chloe said. "So you guys can meet without pressure on you straight up. We just think you guys would hit it off. And Beca and I are going to sure up the plans for Thanksgiving on Monday."

"Yeah, good," Aubrey said. "I'm actually off, which is a small miracle. I go back to work Black Friday at 6pm and then do four consecutive nights. Ugh."

"See, sometimes I still worry that I'm not going to be able to work a doctor's hours whenever I get around to finishing med school," Chloe said. "What would I do with Lucy for four consecutive nights? Because the thing is, I know doctors make decent money but that doesn't happen until after residency and I know no residency program in the country is going to accept the single mom defense when I try and beg off night shifts."

"You'll make it, Chloe," Aubrey said. "I know you will. And you'll continue being the best mom in the world to Luce the whole time. I'll help you study, whatever it is you need."

"You're the best," Chloe said. "Still a bit of time though, I'm not even thinking about going back to med school until Lucy gets to preschool. And I'll have to revise our financial situation."

"Well let's wait until we get to those bridges before we figure out how to cross them," Aubrey said. Chloe nodded and the three of them finished off the pizza. Aubrey hung around while Chloe got Lucy cleaned up and off to bed. After the toddler was asleep though, the two of them sat down on the couch with cups of coffee while Chloe relayed the events of Friday night in more M-level detail. Aubrey was thoroughly envious of her best friend's sex life by the time she left.

Beca and Chloe managed to sit down for their talk on Monday night. Chloe was nervous to begin with, but Beca simply took her hand and even that simple act was enough to calm her down.

"I have to explain that I handled things badly on Saturday," Chloe said. "And I know I originally said that it was too soon, but I don't actually believe that. This is hard for me to talk about because I'm proud and stubborn and I've fought so long to be independent and not rely on anyone, but it is about the money."

"So tell me what's on your mind," Beca said.

"It's not that I think doing a bedroom in your house for Lucy is a waste of money," Chloe said. "I actually think it's very sweet. But I guess I kind of have this ongoing fear that when our relationship becomes public news I'm going to get painted as some money-hungry bimbo looking to take all your fortune away. And I know that you don't think that about me, but I don't want anyone to think that about me."

"I can't stop you feeling that way," Beca said. "I can only tell you, from experience, that people are going to say those things about you. They already say all sorts of things about me. About women I've dated. About Stacie and she's just my best friend. And I can't make you not read them. But I can tell you that your life gets ten times easier when you stop."

"But what about Lucy?" Chloe asked. "She's the innocent bystander in this and-"

"And anyone who says anything about that little girl will feel the full reach of my anger," Beca said simply. Chloe was surprised. "We're adults Chloe. We can handle outsider opinions. But if we're in a relationship then so help me god I'm going to be protecting that little girl with the same level of ferocity that you would."

"I was talking to Aubrey and she pointed out that we need to talk about money again," Chloe said.

"Can I say something here?" Beca asked. Chloe nodded. "I know you don't like the idea of me blowing cash on you guys. But it's… Chlo, I care about you both. A lot. More than I can articulate. And it's not that I want to waste money or spoil you guys unnecessarily. But I also don't want you to want for anything."

"That's very sweet Beca, but not entirely realistic," Chloe said. "Sometimes we don't always get what we want." Beca was fiddling with the buttons on her shirt for a few minutes.

"When I was a kid," Beca she said quietly, "We didn't have cash. It was me and mom. She worked two really shitty jobs to keep us afloat and I remember thinking as I got older that if I ever made it big, I'd make it so she never had to want for anything. Because I remembered the times she'd gone without so that I could have new shoes for school. Or my first guitar. And you're a little like her in some ways. Because you'd do anything for Lucy. But I have the means to make it so that you don't have to go without the things you need. And I know you said you don't need a savior, but it's very - limiting. To expect me to have all this money and not treat you guys."

"I know," Chloe said. "And I think we can relax the rule a little since we're intending on being serious for quite a while. Though I imagine that we'll need to discuss it again. Frequently."

"So you guys will think about staying at my place some nights?" Beca asked.

"I'm saying Lucy is going to flip when she gets to pick out sheets for a bed at your place," Chloe said. Beca leaned over and kissed her deeply before sitting back and listening to the next of Chloe's points.


	8. Chapter 8

They ended up talking long into the night, going over everything that had been on both of their minds. They talked about all the financial issues, about Lucy and what kind of role Beca might play in her life now that things were getting more serious, and about the fame aspect that was likely to creep up any day now.

They'd been lucky to this point and they knew it. But they were also well aware that there was a point coming where they were going to have to face the cameras - metaphorically and literally. They kind of had two options. One was to just put out a statement and then go about things as if nothing had changed. The other was to let the cameras find them while they were out. Chloe didn't really like either plan but she had to be realistic about their chances at staying under the radar.

Chloe ended up suggesting that the second option was better purely because then it'd be over and done with. Beca liked the idea of that as well, but wanted a statement prepared anyway - she wanted to make it clear that she didn't want Lucy to be harassed by cameras.

By the time they'd covered all the bases, meticulously going over everything that had been on their minds, it was after two am. They retired to bed happy and content, Beca's arm curled tightly over Chloe's waist. Chloe's last thought as she fell asleep was that she might actually be in love with this woman.

They ended up dealing with the press relatively quickly. Beca remarked that if they simply drove further into the city and spent the day together, someone would show up. So Chloe steeled herself for her daughter's sake and they went out to enjoy the day.

They ran into a pair of photographers eventually and one of them asked Beca who the redheads were. Beca knew the guy a little and even though she disliked his profession he wasn't an entire dickbag, so she confirmed that Chloe was in fact her girlfriend. She added that she'd really prefer if they didn't snap Lucy, which they both actually complied with.

"Thank you," Beca said. "We appreciate it." They disappeared after a few more shots, and Chloe exhaled.

"So what happens now?" she asked.

"The guy I spoke to, Tony? He'll sell the photos on. And he will definitely tell them that we had a toddler with us, but he's okay with shit like that," Beca said. "He actually agrees with child pap laws. But not everyone is as amenable as he is. He was a good entry into what paps can be like but a lot of them are assholes."

"Are you going to put a statement out?" Chloe asked, sliding her hand into Beca's.

"I've been musing a few things over, but I'll talk it over with Jesse and once people start calling we'll figure it out," she said. "It'll just be yes we're dating, please keep out of our faces, keep away from Lucy or I'll never grant an interview to your publication again."

"Say that again?"

"If a company publishes a picture of Lucy without us knowing about it, I'm going to refuse to do press with them," Beca said. "I'm sorry, I thought I mentioned that."

"I thought you just meant you were going to ask them not to do pictures with Luce in them," Chloe ask. "Are you sure that's a career move you want to make?"

"For you, Chlo, yeah," Beca said.

The photos were online that afternoon. Tony had kept his word and none of the pictures featured Lucy. But the accompanying articles did mention her. It was straightforward, nothing Beca hadn't warned her about. Beca Mitchell seen out and about with new girlfriend Chloe Beale, librarian, and her daughter. They seemed happy and only ask that their privacy be respected for the sake of Chloe's daughter.

Beca started receiving phone calls at the studio during the week, though Jesse handled them all. It was made very clear to every news outlet that people angling to report on Lucy would lose press access to Beca and everyone else who worked for her company. Similarly, a memo was issued to everyone in her employ that anyone caught feeding information to the press about Lucy would be immediately terminated.

Chloe hadn't expected Beca to be so forceful with her defense of Lucy, but the brunette had told her that she had never been someone who allowed business to interfere with her personal life and she'd be damned if she'd let it interfere with theirs. So they went on, happily, about their lives.

Chloe had to answer a few questions from Lucy's regular sitter, Juliet, who had known that Chloe was dating but not that she was dating one of the most famous women in the country. It was mainly to do with Lucy - like if for some reason Chloe was running late and Beca was around, would she be comfortable leaving Lucy in her care, or if she couldn't get a hold of Chloe in a crisis would Beca be considered an emergency contact. Juliet then asked what Beca was like. She was a fan, naturally, and remarked that Beca gave off an air of mystery.

"She's not mysterious. She's just... quiet," Chloe said. "Thoughtful. Sweet. And she's really good with Lucy which is most important for me."

The following week Chloe was on her way home from work when her car began shuddering and sputtering. She managed to pull over before it died completely, steam escaping the hood. It was late afternoon and she was trying to get home to relieve Juliet so that she could get to her evening class. She sighed and popped the hood. The steam was widespread and she quickly tried to kick the engine over to no avail. None of the passing motorists were looking at slowing down so she got back into the car and pulled her cell phone out. She had AAA so she dialled the number, only to be told that their call centre was experiencing higher than normal call volumes and she was being placed in a queue.

She checked her watch. She was going to be late. She hated to call Juliet and ask her to skip class. Just as she was about to call her, the phone rang. It was Beca.

"Hello?" she said tiredly.

"Hey. You okay?" Beca asked. "You sound... I don't know."

"My car just died near the off-ramp coming home," she huffed. "Triple A put me in a queue and I'm going to have to call Juliet and ask her to skip night school while I google a tow truck."

"Ok. Call Juliet and tell her I'll be there in fifteen," Beca said. "And text me your location and I'll get my buddy Luke to send a truck out. He's my mechanic."

"Beca-"

"Come on, Chlo. This way Juliet gets to class on time, I'll hang here with Lucy, take care of dinner, and you'll be safe. You're somewhere relatively well lit?"

"Yeah I am," Chloe said. "I'll call Juliet."

"Okay," Beca said. "I'm calling Luke right now and I'll call once I get to yours. Stay warm, okay?"

"Okay," Chloe said. She hung up and then dialled her sitters number.

"Hi," Juliet's voice came.

"Hey," Chloe said. "How's my girl?"

"Very good," Juliet said. "We had a painting day."

"That sounds fun," Chloe said. "Listen, Juliet. My car broke down and I'm not going to be home any time soon. But I don't want you to miss class so Beca is going to come and watch Lucy so you can go."

"Beca Mitchell is coming here?" Juliet said.

"Yes. Just do me a favor and tell Lucy? She likes Beca and tell her I'll be home as soon as I can," Chloe said. "Just relax. Beca's incredibly normal."

"Sure," Juliet said. "Normal. If normal is a millionaire musician."

"Juliet."

"I know. I figure if I freak out on the phone now it should be out of my system when she gets here," she said. "Okay. I'm done. You're okay though right? Not hurt or anything?"

"If I had to guess, I would say that my radiator died," Chloe said. "Which is not going to be fun for my bank balance. But I'll think about that later. Kiss Luce for me?"

"Will do, Chloe," she said. The redhead got out of her car for a moment to open the trunk and pull out a picnic rug. It was only about fifty degrees out and if the car wasn't turning on it meant no heat. So she tucked it around herself in the drivers side seat. She had a jacket on as well so she would be fine as long as Luke didn't take too long.

It was about forty minutes before a truck pulled up just in front of her with Tanner Auto on the side. A man with closely cropped blonde hair got out and held a business card up to the window so she would know it was okay to get out. She got out and shook her limbs, then shook the man's hand.

"You must be Chloe. I'm Luke," he said. "Becky called me and said you were having some problems."

"Becky?" she asked.

"Pet name," he said with a wink that suggested she probably hated the name. "Pop the hood?" Chloe popped the hood and Luke had a quick look underneath and then tried to start the car.

"I know it's not good news," she said.

"At the very least it's a blown radiator, unfortunately," Luke said. "But I'll tow it back to the shop and look it over properly for you. And I'll give you a loaner."

"You're sure this is okay?"

"Becky and I go a long way back," he said.

"And the loaner will be okay to put Lucy's booster in?" Chloe asked.

"Sure," he said. "I'll pop it in myself for you."

"I really appreciate that," Chloe replied. She waited as he loaded the car onto the bed of the truck and secured it, then got into the passenger side.

"It's no problem," Luke assured her. "Anything for Becky." It didn't take as long to get back to the garage, and Luke went about arranging the loan car immediately for her so she could get home.

"If it's the radiator," Chloe said, "it's going to be what, four hundred?"

"I'll be honest," he said. "It's probably more than the radiator. I'll keep the cost down as much as I can. Promise." She thanked him and transferred her belongings from her car to the loaner before heading back to her place. She couldn't help but worry as she drove. She didn't really have four hundred dollars to spend on a radiator, let alone more. When she got home it was to Lucy running to greet her at the door. She scooped her up in a hug, and kissed Beca hello.

"How's the car?" Beca asked. Chloe shook her head.

"Doesn't look good," she said. "Luke said he'd look it over. He also called you Becky. Repeatedly." She put Lucy back down and she scampered off toward her My Little Pony collection.

"Yeah, he would, the bastard," Beca said. "I ordered Chinese food, should be here soon."

"Have I got time for a quick shower? I'm kind of cold," she said. Beca wrapped her arms around her.

"Are you okay?" Beca asked, her brow furrowing. Chloe's arms tightened and she burrowed into Beca's neck. She didn't want to cry over something stupid like a car but she could feel it coming. The first sob was enough to get Beca's attention.

"Whoa, Chloe, what's going on here?" she asked, pulling the other woman out to arms length. "Talk to me."

"It's just a stupid car," she said, wiping her eyes. "And I've got a little money saved up that might cover the radiator if I'm lucky, but I had that set aside for Lucy's birthday and Christmas and god damn it-"

"Okay," Beca said. "Everything is going to be okay, babe. We'll talk it through when Lucy goes to bed." Chloe nodded and fell back into her shoulder. She stayed there for a moment, composing herself. Thinking about having to use the money for Lucy's birthday and Christmas to fix her crappy car made her feel sick. When she felt a little stronger, she headed into the bathroom to take a shower.

Beca didn't bring it up again until after Chloe had put Lucy to bed. She had kissed the little girl on the cheek and disappeared to make a phone call leaving Chloe to sing to the little girl solo for the night. When Chloe found Beca in the living room with a glass of red for her, she dropped into the couch.

"I talked to Luke," she said. "It's definitely the radiator. And it's also the head gasket, unfortunately." Chloe just sighed.

"I'm going to have to put it on my credit card and see if work can give me extra shifts so I can afford the repayments," she said. "I'm assuming the head gasket will cost about the same as a radiator?"

"Do you know much about cars?" Beca asked.

"No. Do you?"

"Not exactly, but I do know that a head gasket costs a lot more than a radiator," Beca said. "But don't worry about it, I've got it covered."

"No, Beca."

"Yes, Chloe," Beca said. "You need to let me do this for you. Because you and Lucy need a car that's going to be safe for you to drive in. Luke will be sending me the bill."

"Why are you doing this?" Chloe asked. "I don't want your money."

"Yeah, well the money comes with me," Beca said, exasperated at having to explain it again. "I want to do this for you because Lucy deserves a birthday and Christmas, and you've planned that for her. A little hiccup like a car repair shouldn't mean she misses out. I love you, okay? I love you and I love Lucy and I want you to have good things. I don't want you to be upset and worrying about money, not when I have more of it than I need. Just let me do this for you okay?" Chloe was just nodding, her eyes wide and watery. Beca had taken her by surprise.

"You love me?" she asked breathlessly, still reeling from the declaration of the other woman's feelings.

"Of course I love you," Beca said as if she'd stated something exceedingly obvious. "I love you and I love your daughter. So please, don't fight me on this." Chloe threw her arms around her, holding her tightly for a few long minutes.

"I love you too," she said eventually. "And thank you."

"So let's stop worrying," Beca said. "I'm not trying to take care of you because I pity you, Chlo, or because I think you can't take care of yourself. I want to take care of you because I love you."

"I'm sorry," Chloe said. "I think I might get defensive about stuff like this because you know, single moms aren't always painted in the best light. And for some reason, even though Tom isn't around, I always feel like I need to prove that I don't need him."

"You don't." Chloe just leaned in and kissed her.

"Do you want to stay tonight?" Chloe asked.

"Sure," Beca said. "We can take Lucy out tomorrow to pick some new sheets and stuff for my place. Which reminds me."

"What?"

"A few things. One, Stacie suggested that if we bring a blanket or something from here for Lucy's bed at my place it might make it easier. The smell being familiar?" Beca said. "It sounded like a good idea."

"That is a good idea," Chloe said. "I'll get one out."

"Two, I know Lucy is going to flip out getting to pick new things for a room. But I want you to rein her in. The room already has a bed just like hers in it, a dresser in it, and a closet. She doesn't need to go crazy."

"That would have been my plan anyway."

"And three, if there's something you need to make you staying over easier, just say the word. Like if you want dresser space or even if you guys have a specific brand of juice you like."

"You want to give me a drawer?" Chloe asked teasingly.

"I'd give you an entire closet," Beca replied, leaning in to capture her lips again. The embrace turned heated, and Chloe's hands made their way under Beca's shirt, nails scraping across her skin lightly.

"Can we go to bed?" she asked, voice full of desire.

"Any time," Beca replied. They disentangled themselves and made their way into the bedroom. Once inside, Chloe pulled her back in and kissed her hard, fingers already undoing the buttons on her shirt.

"Chlo," Beca said, "Please tell me Lucy is a heavy sleeper." Her hands were skimming up Chloe's torso.

"Yep," Chloe said. She tugged the shirt off of Beca's shoulders and pushed her toward the bed.

They fell asleep some hours later, sweaty and satisfied. Beca's arm was wrapped tightly over Chloe's waist, her face buried in the back of her neck. She planted a light peck just below her hairline.

"I love you," Chloe mumbled sleepily, clutching the arm tighter.

"I love you too," Beca replied.

The next morning Lucy was excited to hear that they were going shopping, but it took her a few minutes to understand the concept of having a bedroom at Beca's. Chloe simply ended up by explaining that they might sometimes have sleepovers at Beca's like they did at Nanny and Pop's. That seemed to work in terms of an explanation, so after they loaded the car seat and stroller into Beca's car, they headed out.

There were a few stares from people while they were out - now that the news had broken about them dating, Beca had expected it. But they paid them no attention, just focused on helping Lucy select a few things for her room. They ended up with purple sheets with white stars and a pillow shaped like a rainbow. They also bought a My Little Pony nightlight and a little rug for the floor.

"I think your new room is going to be super cute," Chloe said to Lucy as they enjoyed some fries for lunch.

"When do I go to my new room?" Lucy asked. Beca raised her eyebrows. They hadn't exactly thought about that yet.

"What do you think, Chlo?" Beca said. "I don't want to say immediately, but it seems like she's excited. What about Thanksgiving?" It was the following Thursday.

"I think that might be a good idea," Chloe said. "It'll give us both time to prepare for that and since we'll be at your place anyway, it makes sense to stay there."

"What do you say, Luce?" Beca asked. "Sleepover on Thursday?" The almost-three year old cheered and then returned to methodically dipping her fries into the ketchup.

"Stacie and Cynthia Rose will be coming?" Chloe asked.

"Yep. Aubrey?" Beca asked.

"Yeah, she's off that day," Chloe said. "She also mentioned that she's open to meeting Stacie."

"You told her?"

"I said we think they'd hit it off but no pressure," Chloe said. "I think even if nothing happens they'd still be friends."

"Yeah, they would," Beca agreed. "Did you want to stop and buy the food and stuff? I've got plenty of space in the freezer."

"That might be a good idea," Chloe said. "Though Lucy hasn't slept yet, so there's a good chance the second we strap her into the car she'll be asleep."

"Okay so let's go back to mine," Beca said. "We can get Lucy from the car to a bed, and when she wakes up and I take you guys back home, we can make a list and I'll grab it all on the way back."

"Sounds perfect," Chloe said. Beca leaned in and kissed her softly. Her phone began ringing in her pocket so she answered it. Chloe wasn't listening, she was focused on Lucy and helping her finish off her fries.

"That was Luke," Beca said, sticking her phone back in her pocket. "It's about your car. We need to talk."

"Why?"

"Because it's going to cost more to repair your car than the car is worth, according to Luke," Beca said. "Which I'm still happy to do. And Luke would have tried everything to keep the cost down."

"Oh," Chloe said.

"So we have two choices here," Beca said. "You let me pay to repair the car. Or you let me buy you another car." Chloe was about to say no, when Beca cut her off.

"Let me finish," Beca said. Chloe nodded. "To fix your car is going to cost about six thousand dollars, Chloe. Luke said it was a miracle that thing was still drivable. And I know you're independent and proud and you don't want to be painted like some cash grabbing harpy. But that doesn't change the fact that you need a car and I have the money."

"Beca, we've only been seeing each other a few months," Chloe said. "I feel bad."

"Don't feel bad," Beca said. "What about if I bought you a new used car?" Chloe thought about that for a few moments.

"I'd feel better about that," Chloe said. "But only if you're sure."

"I'm sure," Beca said. "I'll call Luke later and ask around."

"Thank you, Beca," Chloe said. "I know you don't have to do these things, but you do them anyway. I appreciate it." Beca just kissed her quickly and they resumed eating their lunch.


	9. Chapter 9

On Thanksgiving, Chloe and Lucy got to Beca's early; it was around nine thirty in the morning. They'd spent the previous afternoon at Beca's as well, preparing what they could. But Chloe didn't want to fall behind. They also had with them their bags so they could stay the night, something that Lucy especially was very excited about. Beca took her up to her room - she'd set Lucy's things up already - and Chloe could hear the excited squeal from the stairwell.

"Do you need my help in the kitchen?" Beca asked.

"No, it should be fine," Chloe said. "What time are the others all getting here? I told Bree around eleven."

"I told them eleven as well," Beca said. "Don't forget CR is all about Thanksgiving dinner, she'll jump in for sure."

"Well my main priority is to get this turkey stuffed and in the oven as soon as possible," Chloe said. "But it would be helpful if you would entertain Lucy. And maybe put some music on?"

"And how about a cup of coffee?" Beca asked. Chloe nodded and Beca flipped the coffee maker on, then disappeared into another room while Lucy climbed onto one of the dining room chairs to watch her mother. Music came on, from a speaker set above the kitchen entryway. Chloe began preparing everything she needed while Beca made coffee for the two of them. She handed one to Chloe with a peck and then asked Lucy if she wanted to go outside and play. The little girl ran to grab her coat again, since it was cold and overcast, and Beca went to grab a hoodie.

Chloe smiled as she heard her daughter's excited voice carrying through the yard and into the house. She sipped the coffee and began making the stuffing to go inside the turkey. She hummed along with the music from time to time, finishing off her coffee and washing her hands before she stuffed the bird. She rubbed it down with oil and seasoned it well - she'd called her mom for advice on cooking the perfect turkey - and popped it in the oven. She stuck her head out the back door and smiled at the sight before her.

Beca was playing on the climbing frame with Lucy. It was adorable. Because Beca was so small, she managed to get around it just fine, laughing at the young girls' manic giggles as she did so. She still had a lot of work to do food-wise, so she sighed and went back to work. Next on her list was pie crust. She knew how to do that in her sleep.

About halfway through, Beca and Lucy came back inside, needing to warm up from the cold. They stopped for a drink and then headed into the living area where Lucy picked out a movie to watch. Today's selection was Lilo and Stitch. Chloe returned to her work after a quick break to kiss her girlfriend, and was just wrapping the mix to chill before she rolled it out, when the doorbell rang.

It was Aubrey, slightly early as usual, not that Chloe minded. Chloe kissed her on the cheek as she accepted the wine from her. Aubrey had also brought some hors d'oeuvres, since Chloe would be busy with lunch, and set them out on the table. The bell rang again and this time it was accompanied with squeals as Stacie and Cynthia Rose arrived, and Lincoln and Maya realized that Lucy was also there.

"Okay," Beca said, coming into the kitchen. "We need some juice and something snacky for those kids."

"I got it," Cynthia Rose said, coming into the kitchen. "I'll cut up some apples and get some peanut butter on them." Stacie then came into the kitchen with a baked cheesecake.

"Hey," she said. "I come bearing dessert. And toddlers."

"I'll put it in the fridge," Beca said. "And by the way, Stacie, Cynthia Rose, this is Aubrey. Aubrey, Stacie and Cynthia Rose. " They all exchanged pleasantries. The kitchen was now chaotic, and Beca suggested they move into the dining room - still able to see the kids in the living room with the snacks Cynthia Rose just delivered, and still close enough to include Chloe and Cynthia Rose in the conversation from the kitchen. It was a little over half hour later when Beca came over to Chloe.

"Lucy is getting tired," she said. "I think she might be ready for a nap."

"It's about that time, yeah," Chloe said. "I'll just wash my hands and pop her upstairs." Lucy was indeed ready for a nap, and Chloe was able to get her down very quickly. She came back downstairs and Beca promised she'd check on her in an hour. Then she left the three women talking at the dining table.

She and Cynthia Rose had everything prepared easily ahead of schedule and set alarms to remind them to baste the turkey and put the vegetables in to roast. They opened the wine and shared a glass with the others. Beca immediately interlaced her fingers with Chloe's. They both watched Aubrey and Stacie particularly, observing that the two seemed to get on pretty well. When the first of their timers went off to remind them to baste the turkey, Aubrey offered to help Chloe and followed her into the kitchen.

"So," Chloe said in a low voice. "What do you think of Stacie?"

"She's great," Aubrey said. "Smart, easy to talk to, funny, gorgeous…"

"So you're interested?" Chloe asked.

"If she's interested, I'm interested," Aubrey said. They chanced a look over at the table where the three old friends were sitting.

"Okay, Becs," Stacie said, "You failed to mention that Aubrey was an absolute babe when you brought her up." Cynthia Rose raised her eyebrow.

"Are we playing matchmaker this Thanksgiving?" she asked.

"Not matchmaker," Beca said. "But Chloe and I felt like Aubrey and Stacie would hit it off. I assume that you two are, in fact, hitting it off?"

"She's my kind of girl," Stacie admitted. "I'd have to talk to her about the kids before anything happened though." They let the conversation fade out as the other two rejoined the table. When the second timer went off, Beca also went to check and see if Lucy was awake. The little redhead was stirring, and seeing Beca, she sat up and rubbed her eyes.

"Hi," Beca said. "Have a good sleep?" Lucy nodded. Beca knew she wasn't always chatty from the second she woke up.

"Mommy?" she asked.

"Your mom's downstairs making lunch," Beca said. "Want me to take you downstairs? We can get you a drink and Lincoln and Maya are still here."

"Link and Maya?" she asked. "Gotta go potty." Beca hesitated for a second. She didn't have an issue with taking Lucy to the bathroom, but she'd never done that before and didn't know if Chloe would be comfortable with it. Deciding not to risk the little girl wetting herself while she checked, she took Lucy into the bathroom where she did her business before they went downstairs.

"Hey little girl," Chloe said, scooping Lucy up in a hug.

"Hi," she said. "Link and Maya?"

"Have you been to the potty?" Chloe asked. Lucy nodded.

"Yup, Beca took me," she said.

"I hope that's okay," she said. "I didn't want to come all the way down and check, only to have her wet herself."

"Of course it's okay," Chloe said. Then she kissed Lucy on her pudgy little cheek. "Why don't you go find Lincoln and Maya and I'll bring you guys out some more juice?" Lucy scampered off to join the other two, who were playing with oversized blocks in the living room.

"I just realized all of a sudden we hadn't talked about me taking Luce to the bathroom, bath time, all that kind of stuff," Beca said. Chloe kissed her lovingly.

"Well, for the record, you can take her to the bathroom and give her a bath, all of that stuff," she said. "I trust you." Beca leaned in and kissed her again.

"Hey!" Stacie said. "No making out where the food is prepared."

"My house, and that is not a rule," Beca said. She pecked Chloe again and they separated.

Before long, lunch was ready. Aubrey had set the table, Beca assisting by setting up three booster seats - she'd already had two at her house, and Chloe had brought Lucy's along. Everyone took their places as Cynthia Rose and Chloe started bringing food out.

"Looks great," Stacie said. "Thanks for cooking, Chloe, CR. Looks better than anything I would have rustled up."

"That turkey looks fantastic," Aubrey agreed. "I would have been eating microwave turkey dinner for one." Cynthia Rose took the honors of carving the bird, and they all settled in to eat together. It was nice, Chloe thought more than once, to have their friends for lunch, and the kids, all like a little surrogate family. And Lucy loved Lincoln and Maya, in fact the three little kids were adorable together. She made a mental note to invite them to Lucy's birthday.

After the food was gone, the kids were encouraged to go and play for a little while before they started bringing dessert out. Aubrey offered to go and make coffee for all of them, Stacie immediately offering to help. The two of them went into the kitchen and the other three women shot glances at each other.

Aubrey set the machine going while Stacie pulled mugs from a cupboard. After she'd done that, the brunette leaned back on the counter and addressed the blonde.

"So, Aubrey," Stacie said. "What exactly did Chloe and Beca say regarding me? Because Beca was kind of insistent that I meet you." Aubrey smiled.

"Yeah," she replied. "Chloe just said I should be open to meeting you because they're pretty convinced we'll hit it off. Of course, they told me a little about you and the kids."

"Do you want me to beat around the bush or get straight to the point?" Stacie asked.

"I prefer getting straight to the point," Aubrey said.

"Excellent. Here's the deal. Clearly they were right about us hitting it off," Stacie said. "I think there's no point denying that. And you're an attractive woman, Aubrey. I'd like to get to know you better. But before we even do that, there's-"

"The fact that you have kids," Aubrey finished. "I have no problem with kids, and despite the fact that I prefer dating women, I always saw myself running around after a couple someday. So I'm on board for getting to know each other better, because like you said, clearly we get on very well. And you're also an attractive woman."

"So I'm going to make sure I get your number before we leave," Stacie said. "We should get coffee soon."

"I'd like that," Aubrey said. "If you can handle waiting a couple of days. I'm on night shift for four straight nights starting tomorrow." The machine beeped to alert them it was ready and they took the drinks out to the table. Once they got back, Beca asked Stacie about the twins.

"Weren't you talking about putting them in preschool?" Beca asked.

"Yeah," Stacie said. "I'll start looking around in the New Year. They're ready. Does Lucy go to preschool, Chloe?"

"No, I have a sitter," Chloe said. "But I'll ask her if she can recommend somewhere if you like. She's studying her early childhood diploma at the moment."

"Thanks," Stacie said. "It'd be nice to get some actual quiet time."

"What are you working on at the moment?" Chloe asked.

"It's an app," Stacie said. "These guys sent it to me, claiming that it's perfect. They've asked me to look at their coding, test the app, and if I can find anything wrong with it, there's big cash bonuses on top of my fee."

"Found anything wrong with it?"

"Not just yet," Stacie said. "But I will. I always do. That's why they send them to me. They're always so shocked when I call them and tell them their perfect little app is a mess."

"How do you even get into that as a business, though?" Chloe asked.

"It was accidental," Stacie said. "I was using this app that was supposed to be the next big thing for back end web designers. And I kind of discovered that there was a really big, glaring problem. I'm talking huge. Compromising the personal data of every user due to some shitty coding. So I call the company and ask to speak to whoever was in charge and explained it. Went in and saw them, and the guy flat out gives me ten grand and asks me if I could look over some other stuff. After that it was word of mouth and eventually I registered it as a business so the tax man doesn't come after me for it."

They decided it was time to break out the dessert, which brought the kids back in yelling for ice cream. There was some brief chaos while everyone got what they were after and settled down. Not long after the plates were cleared and the kitchen tidied up, Stacie decided it was time to call it a day, deciding to take the twins home. Cynthia Rose left as well, since she had to be up early to fly out to Michigan to see her girlfriend. Aubrey followed suit, making sure Stacie had her number before she left, which brought knowing smiles from Beca and Chloe alike.

Once all of the guests had departed, Beca and Chloe sank into the couch in the living room, where Lucy was spread out on the rug playing with a puzzle, Bunny perched next to her.

"Long day," Beca said. Chloe shifted and slumped against her.

"Mmm," she said. Beca's arm wrapped around her and tugged her so she was laying in her lap, fingers digging into her hair to scratch her scalp lightly.

"You worked really hard today," Beca said. "And I really appreciate it. The cooking, having everyone here for Thanksgiving." She leaned down to kiss her gently.

"It was nice," Chloe murmured. The fingers on her scalp were lulling her to sleep.

"Take a nap," Beca said. "I'm fine, I'll stay awake and watch Lucy." Chloe let her eyes close.

"Not too long," Chloe said. "Wake me in like an hour." Beca just kept scratching at her scalp, humming a little as she did, and Chloe was asleep in minutes. She waited until the redhead's breathing evened right out and then carefully wriggled herself out, covering Chloe up with a blanket. She dropped down on the floor next to Lucy.

"Hi," Lucy said. "Link and Maya coming back?"

"Not today sweetie," Beca said. "But your mommy said that she's going to invite them to your birthday party, would you like that?" Lucy nodded excitedly, pressing the starfish piece into the puzzle.

"You thirsty or anything?" Beca asked. "Want some water?" The toddler nodded.

"Where's Mommy?" Beca pointed to the couch.

"She's having a little nap," Beca said. "So we might need to be super quiet, what do you think?"

"Mommy sleepy?" Lucy asked.

"Your mommy worked very hard today making lunch for everyone," Beca said. "It was yummy lunch, too."

"Yeah, yummy lunch," Lucy agreed. "I like turkey. Poor Mommy."

"She's okay, kiddo, we'll wake her up before dinner," Beca said. They got up and went into the kitchen to get some water and then Lucy requested a story. Beca let her pick from the very limited collection of kids books she had, grateful Stacie's kids had left a handful of Dr Seuss behind, and they settled in to read Hop on Pop together. Lucy giggled her way through the book so they read it twice more before Beca suggested they go and have a better look in her room.

"Are you excited to sleep over?" Beca asked. Lucy nodded, but looked a little hesitant. "What's wrong?"

"Gonna be dark?" Lucy asked. Beca had anticipated this.

"Well, we've got your nightlight right here," Beca said, pointing next to the bed. "And if you come with me, I can show you something else." They went out into the hall and Beca pointed to a small white disc shaped light low to the floor, attached to the wall.

"This one here is a light too," Beca said. "And your mom and I are going to be right in the next room. So if you get too scared, or you need the potty or anything, you'll be able to see and come find us."

"Okay," Lucy said. "You and Mommy will be here?"

"We'll be right here," Beca said, pointing to the door. She let Lucy come inside the bedroom. "So it's okay. I know sometimes it can be scary in a new place, but your mom and I aren't going anywhere. Okay?" Lucy nodded.

"Can we read Hop on Pop again?" she asked. Beca smiled and led her back downstairs.

They were reaching the end of the book when Chloe stirred. She rubbed her face a little and looked over to the source of Lucy's giggles. She just about melted when she saw Beca sitting cross-legged on the floor, Lucy perched in her lap, laughing as they read a story together. Beca caught her eye as they finished up, pointing out to the toddler that her mom was awake.

"Mommy!" Lucy said. "Have a good nap?" She threw her little arms around her mother.

"Yes, I did," Chloe said.

"Beca said you were tired coz you worked hard making yummy lunch for everyone," she said solemnly. "But we read Hop on Pop."

"I heard," Chloe said. "It sounds like a very silly story."

"We read Hop on Pop four times," Beca said. "And we also went upstairs to talk about the sleepover. Lucy was worried it might be too dark."

"Beca got nightlights," she said.

"I put another one in the hall," Beca said. "In case she gets up to try find you, she'll be able to see. And I showed her where we'd be sleeping."

"So we're all good?" Chloe asked her daughter. The toddler screwed up her nose and nodded. "So how about a bath before dinner?"

"Not hungry," Lucy said. "My tummy's still full."

"So's mine," Beca agreed. "But maybe a sandwich or something small might be a good idea."

"After a bath," Chloe said. "Come on." She picked up Lucy and gave her a big hug before they went upstairs, Beca offering to make her a cup of coffee. The brunette went into the kitchen, unpacking the dishwasher while she waited. She smiled to herself about how domestic this all was, and how much she really liked it.

She took the coffee upstairs, Chloe accepting it gratefully. Lucy was playing with a pair of boats, navigating them through some bubbles. After the expedition was over and Lucy sufficiently cleaned up, Chloe got her out and dressed her in pajamas.

"We really have to eat again?" Chloe asked. "I know Lucy might wake up hungry if she doesn't eat now but I honestly don't feel like I could eat another thing without exploding."

"What about fruit?" Beca said. "We did lots of carbs and meat, fruit should be fine."

"Good thinking," Chloe said. They quickly cut up some fruit and ate on the floor in the living room with Lucy, the toddler climbing between their laps as she ate. It was a fairly short evening for Lucy, all the excitement of the day wearing her out pretty quickly. She requested Hop on Pop for her bedtime story, so Chloe and Beca tucked her in and read her the story together. Beca left the book on her nightstand for her before she flicked on the nightlight and turned off the lights.

"Not too dark?" Chloe asked.

"Nope," Lucy said. "And you gonna be next door?"

"Sure are," Beca said. "Good night."

"Night Beca," Lucy said. "And night Mommy. Love you."

"Love you too, sweetie," Chloe said. They went into the bedroom to wait for a few minutes until they were sure Lucy was asleep.

"Anything you need to do tomorrow?" Beca asked as they relaxed on the bed. Chloe shook her head.

"I hate going anywhere Black Friday everyone turns crazy," Chloe said. "You?"

"Nope," Beca said. "But we should start looking at cars. Do you know what you want?"

"All I want is something safe and reliable that I can put Lucy's car seat in, and fit a stroller in the back if I need to," Chloe said. "Nothing else really bothers me."

"I'll message Luke and get him to recommend somewhere," Beca said. Chloe pulled her across and kissed her softly.

"I really enjoyed our first Thanksgiving together," she said.

"Yeah, me too," Beca agreed. Beca's phone beeped softly from her jeans and she wrestled it out. "It's Stacie. Look at this."

_Good call on Aubrey. I got her number. Probably coffee next week._

"Aww that's awesome," Chloe said. "They'd be a cute couple."

"Not as cute as us," Beca said.

"No way," Chloe said. "You've seen us, right?" Beca just laughed and leaned in to kiss her again.


	10. Chapter 10

Beca managed to take a day off the following week to go with Chloe to look at cars. She'd called Luke and the mechanic had been more than happy to call a few friends and see who had something reliable and safe for them to look at. Instead of dragging Lucy around and pulling her in and out of the car, Chloe had Juliet come and stay with her just after lunch while she and Beca went and looked at the vehicles in question.

She ended up inspecting and driving five different cars, Beca telling her she wasn't allowed to ask how much they cost. Beca did let her ask Luke's opinion on the reliability of the cars before she chose one. It was a tidy little blue sedan that didn't cost a lot to run and, despite all of their conversations, Chloe made Beca promise that this was something she wanted to do. Beca reassured her that it was and organized everything with Luke. Chloe handed back the keys to the loan car and Luke installed Lucy's seat in the back for them, before the two women drove back to Chloe's place.

Juliet and Lucy were hiding in a fort in the lounge room, but the toddler came running out when she heard them arriving home.

"Mommy! And Beca!" she said, wrapping her arms around Chloe's legs.

"Hey baby girl," Chloe said. "Have you been a good girl for Juliet?"

"Of course she has," the woman said, crawling out of the hiding place. "But she has been sounding a little sniffly as the day has gone on. Probably just a little cold, she's not complaining or anything."

"Thank you," Chloe said. Then she addressed her daughter. "We gonna say bye to Juliet?"

"Bye Juliet," Lucy said. She leaned over and gave the sitter a kiss on the cheek.

"Bye guys," she said. "Oh, before I go."

"What's up?" Chloe asked.

"Well I graduate from night school next week," Juliet said. "I know it's just night school and whatever but if you guys are free you should come."

"Of course," Chloe said. "We'd love to come and support you. You just let us know when and where and we'll be there."

"Awesome," Juliet said. She ruffled Lucy's hair one more time before she left.

"What about you, you feeling okay?" Chloe said to Lucy. The toddler nodded.

"Yup," she said. But her cheeks were starting to pink up a little.

"Well Beca and I have a pretty great surprise and once we put a jacket on we can go see," Chloe said.

"Yay!" Lucy exclaimed. Beca went and grabbed her a jacket. They'd already decided to take a quick drive in the new car and they'd grab takeout for dinner on the way. They had already called the pizza place. Beca helped Lucy on with her jacket and they headed out to the carpark.

"This," Chloe said, pointing, "is our new car."

"Wow new car!?" Lucy said.

"Yep," Chloe said.

"It's blue," Lucy said. "Gonna ride?"

"Yeah we will take a quick drive," Chloe said. "Hey Beca, what do you think we should do on our drive?"

"Hmmm I don't know," Beca said. "Hey Luce, do you think we should go grab some pizza?"

"Yeah!" she said. Chloe carried her over and buckled her in before getting into the drivers seat.

"What do you think Lucy? Good car?" Beca asked.

"Yeah," she said thoughtfully. "Needs sparkles." Beca laughed and Chloe looked back at her in the mirror. Her daughter was definitely a character. They parked at the pizza place and Chloe left Beca and Lucy in the car while she went and picked up their food. It was only a quick drive before they got back home and ate in the blanket fort Juliet and Lucy had built earlier.

Lucy was clearly falling to the cold that Juliet had suspected was creeping in earlier. She sounded more and more congested as the night wore on. Chloe was worried that she'd get worse quickly because the weather was so cold now, and she quickly changed Lucy into some warm pajamas and they tucked her into bed with an extra blanket.

Beca was staying the night, and the two of them also changed into something warmer and then snuggled up on the couch under a throw. They were half watching Legally Blonde, until Beca brought up Lucy's birthday, which was two weeks away.

"Hey what do you think Lucy would like for her birthday?" Beca asked.

"Well firstly, I don't want you going too overboard. But she's pretty much about My Little Pony, rainbows, sparkles and anything purple," Chloe said. "She wants to invite Lincoln and Maya, I have to tell Stacie."

"Do you want to have it at my place?" Beca said.

"Sure," Chloe said.

"Who else are you planning to invite?" Beca asked.

"Bree, Juliet and… uh, my parents," Chloe said. "If that's okay."

"Of course it's okay," Beca said.

"You're ready to meet the parents?" Chloe said.

"I'm ready to meet your parents," Beca said. "I think it's pretty clear that I'm serious about you, and your daughter. So I'm fully prepared to meet the Beales." Chloe pulled her in and kissed her softly, Beca's hand gently cupping her face.

"I love you," Chloe said quietly.

"I love you, too," Beca replied. "Hey, I wonder if Aubrey and Stacie have managed to hang out yet."

"I think Bree said they were catching up tomorrow," Chloe said. "Did you see them at Thanksgiving though? They had some pretty tangible vibes going on there."

"God, tell me about it," Beca said. "Is Aubrey good with kids?"

"She's great with Lucy," Chloe said. "She was an absolute lifesaver to me just after Lucy was born. There was about a week in there where Lucy wasn't sleeping and I wasn't sleeping, and Bree would just show up and push me into the bedroom and take Lucy for a drive to calm her. But they're both kinda busy, her and Stacie."

"Stacie will make it work if she feels like there's something there," Beca said. "She doesn't wait around for things to get better, she's very much the go and get it done type."

"Bree too," Chloe said.

"So for Christmas…" Beca said. "I normally go out of town, on my own. But I'd rather stay here with you guys, if you're up for it."

"Where do you go?" Chloe asked.

"Well, Christmas always seems like such a family time," Beca said. "I normally take a trip. Last year I spent Christmas in Napa."

"Well you can spend Christmas with us," Chloe said firmly. "But Lucy has very strict rules about wearing Santa hats."

"Oh, well, I better go out and get one then," Beca said.

"I'm sure we've got about fifty of them here," Chloe said. "How about since we had Thanksgiving at yours, we do Christmas here? It'll just be us. Aubrey goes back home to see her brother and her mom."

"What about your folks?" Beca asked.

"Well, they come out for Lucy's birthday and we go and visit after the New Year," Chloe said. "It'll just be us and Luce."

"That actually sounds really great," Beca said. "I bet Lucy loves Christmas."

"She does," Chloe confirmed. "We always put up the tree the day after her birthday. I like to make sure they stay two separate days. The exception being mom and dad, they give her a Christmas gift the day after her birthday."

"I didn't even put a tree up last year," Beca said. "I worked a lot, and just… didn't bother."

"Oh my god, don't you dare tell Lucy that," Chloe said. "She will throw that little bottom lip out and those eyes will fill with tears."

"She does have a good pout on her," Beca said.

"Do you have a lot of work coming up?" Chloe asked.

"No more than usual. I've just changed the conditions that I work in," Beca said. "Until I met you guys, there was nothing that I was really looking forward to leaving work for. But now, I like to make it clear to everyone that I'm leaving at five. Even if it's just to talk to you guys on the phone."

"And I really love that you feel like that," Chloe said. "Is it impacting your career though?"

"It only really became an issue for one group," Beca said. "They wanted me to be free to record with them at all hours of the day and night, and I said no because I only worked business hours. We ended up declining their proposal and they went elsewhere."

"Anyone I know?"

"Probably not," Beca said. "They're a house group that aren't really big enough to be as demanding as they are. Their big claim to fame is that one of their songs hit number forty eight on the dance chart. So yeah, not gonna be dictated to by them."

"Speaking as someone who has no idea about the music industry, I would have been impressed by forty eight," Chloe said. "It's not good?"

"I'll put it in perspective," Beca said. "At the time that their song was forty eight on the dance chart, there were twelve different songs in the top fifty that I had either produced or co-written. Three of them were in the top ten. Ignoring the dance chart all together, I haven't had a song _debut_ below forty on the Billboard chart in two years. So for a bunch of newbies from Montana they're alright, but they aren't as big as they believe."

"You're a really big deal, aren't you?" Chloe asked. They didn't talk about Beca's work much. They casually talked about her day, or Beca might tell a story or mention what she was working on, but they never really discussed her influence on music in general. It just wasn't what their relationship was about.

"If I answer that honestly, I'll sound like the biggest wanker ever," Beca sighed.

"I don't think that," Chloe said.

"Yes, Chloe, I am," Beca said. "A ton of people are willing to pay lots of money to sit in a room with me for a week. And I love what I do, don't get me wrong. But at five when I punch out, it's about you and Lucy and the way we fit together and feel right, not about what these people can elicit from me to make money for themselves."

"You're this big music star," Chloe said, taking her hand and squeezing it, "But it sounds like you're happier sitting on a couch with me."

"It makes me feel like such an asshole sometimes," Beca admitted. "Because I know that there are literally thousands of people who would kill to do what I do. But I am a hundred times happier sitting here with you and Lucy, yeah. Apart from Stace and CR and a couple of others, it's all been very surface deep for me until now. I find it hard to get close to people."

"Me too," Chloe said. "It's like… I always felt like it was easier if Lucy and I just had each other and my parents and Bree and Juliet and we didn't really need anyone, I didn't need anyone. But I'm glad I have you, Beca. I'm glad you're here for me and for Lucy. I've been happy in the little bubble that I'd built. But having someone like you to share it all with just makes it all the better." Beca kissed her tenderly and Chloe kept it going, hand shifting just under the long sleeved tee Beca was wearing to softly stroke across her abdomen.

"Chlo," Beca murmured as the hand moved up and curved around a ribcage.

"Bedtime," Chloe replied, Beca nodding as she kissed her again.

It was some time later in the night when Beca heard a little voice crying out into the dark. It was Lucy, calling out for her mom. Chloe was still sleeping soundly, so Beca got up and made her way to the little girls room. She was sitting up in her bed but was very congested now, and very upset about it.

"Where's mom?" Lucy asked pitifully. Beca sat on the edge of Lucy's bed, the toddler scrambling into her lap and latching on tightly. She was a little warm, nothing drastic.

"She's sleeping," Beca said. "Not feeling very good?" Lucy shook her head no.

"Want water," she said. "And mommy's bed."

"Does mom let you sleep with her when you're sick?" Beca asked. Lucy nodded. Beca stood up, Lucy still holding tightly around her neck and they made a quick stop to get Lucy some water, before Beca brought her into the bedroom. Chloe stirred as the toddler crawled into the bed next to her mom, Beca getting in after her.

"Lucy?" Chloe asked. "Everything okay?"

"She woke up," Beca said. "It's okay, Chlo. She's a bit sniffly, coughing. She had some water but she said she wanted to come in here. I hope that's okay."

"Of course it is, if it is with you," Chloe said. Lucy curled up against her mother, Chloe reaching across to smooth her hair back. "You could have woken me."

"Why? I was awake," Beca said. She readjusted her position and settled back down.

"Okay Lucy?" Chloe asked.

"Sleepy," she said, and Beca turned the light back off. Lucy was like a little furnace between them, but she did stay asleep for the remainder of the night, waking up when she heard Beca's alarm go off. Chloe immediately checked on her, found that she did in fact have a cold.

"Looks like a warm PJ day in bed for you," she said. "I'll get you some juice soon." Beca got up and rubbed her face, but she soon realized she also didn't feel particularly well. Her head was pounding and her sinuses felt blocked.

"I think I might have Lucy's cold," Beca said. Chloe came around and checked on her. Glassy eyes with dark circles, pink cheeks and pale skin.

"Yep," Chloe said. "Back into bed for you, too."

"I've gotta go to work," Beca said. She winced as Chloe pushed her back onto the bed.

"You already look like you have a headache," she said. "Going to a music studio and having to make music all day, you're just going to end up coming home early anyway and you'll feel ten times worse. Call whoever you need to call, but you're staying in bed."

"She's Bossy Mommy," Lucy said.

"That's right," Chloe said. "Even she knows not to argue with me when I have my Bossy Mommy voice on." She gave Beca a pointed look.

"Okay," Beca relented. "Let me up for a few minutes so I can go to the bathroom and call Pierce and CR, but then I promise I'll come back to bed."

"Good girl," Lucy piped up, causing both women to laugh. Clearly she was accustomed to trying to negotiate with Bossy Mommy. It did send a radiating ache through Beca's skull, so she took a deep breath and got up to make the call.

Chloe had settled Lucy back down in bed, bringing her orange juice and the pillow from her own bed to prop her up better. Beca came back in after she'd made her phone calls and washed up a little, Chloe making her get back into the bed next to Lucy.

"I've got you some juice too," Chloe said, pointing to the bedside table. "And some painkillers for the headache. I'm going to take a shower, but you guys have to rest up, okay? Get some sleep." Lucy just nodded and burrowed back into the bed. Beca finished her juice but wasn't particularly tired.

"You not sleepy?" Lucy's little voice came.

"Not really," Beca said. "But it's nice of your mom to take care of both of us, isn't it?"

"She's good at taking care-a me," Lucy said.

"She's a good mom," Beca said.

"You gotta mom?" Lucy asked. Beca paused. She wasn't sure how to bring that kind of thing up with a toddler.

"I did," Beca said. "But she got hurt in a car accident and the doctors couldn't make her better."

"That's sad," Lucy said. "You miss her?"

"Yeah, kiddo, I miss her," Beca said. "But it's okay. I was lucky because she was a great mom just like yours is." Lucy nodded. Her eyes were already starting to droop again.

"Love you Beca," she said, reaching out for her hand and grabbing on.

"Love you too," Beca replied with a smile. She stayed with her hand in Lucy's until the little girl was asleep again. Chloe reappeared in jeans and a bra, toweling her hair dry. Beca motioned for her to be quiet, and slid out of the bed.

"She's asleep again," she whispered. "I know you want me to stay in bed, but I'd rather take a shower."

"Go for it," Chloe said. "I'll make you something to eat. Toast? Eggs?"

"Eggs might be okay," Beca said. "Did you have to do anything today?"

"I did have to do a bit of shopping but Lucy's sick, so," Chloe said. She pulled a shirt on and they moved out of the bedroom.

"You go, I'm going to be here anyway," Beca said. "I'll hang out with her."

"You're sure?" Chloe said.

"Of course," Beca said. "We're both under the weather but not so sick that I can't look after her. It'll even get you some alone time to do some shopping for her birthday and Christmas."

"That's true. I'll be quick," Chloe said. "There's kids cold and flu in the medicine cabinet, and she might just want to eat fruit and stuff today but make sure she drinks water. But there's strawberries and bananas, and I'll pick more up before I come home."

"We'll be fine," Beca said. "You go."

"Text me if you want me to pick you anything up," Chloe said. "I'll bring back soup."

"Sure," Beca said. "I'll just shower and then make some breakfast for us both. You get going while you can." Chloe beamed at her and kissed her on the cheek.

"If Lucy wants just call me," she said. "She gets cuddly when she's got a cold, just forewarning you."

"We'll hit the couch and put in some Disney time," Beca assured her. Chloe grabbed the few things she needed and headed out, while Beca headed for the shower.


	11. Chapter 11

Beca took a long, hot shower and found some painkillers for her headache. Lucy was still sleeping, so she simply dressed herself in some clean pajamas of Chloe's and got back into the bed. She still wasn't tired, but she sat against the headboard with her eyes closed until she felt Lucy stirring beside her. She coughed and spluttered as she woke up, so Beca helped her into a sitting position and rubbed her back.

"Where's Mommy?" the toddler asked.

"Mommy had to go do a little bit of boring shopping," Beca said. "She'll be back real soon, but she wanted me to hang out here with you since we both have a cold."

"But I want Mommy," Lucy said, eyes filling with tears.

"Do you want me to call her so you can talk to her?" Beca asked. The toddler nodded, and clutched on to Beca's arm. She leaned over and picked her cellphone up off the table and dialed Chloe.

"Hello?" Chloe said.

"Hey," Beca said. "Lucy woke up and she was a bit upset so we thought we'd call and say hi."

"Okay," Chloe said. Beca put the phone on speaker.

"Say hi to Mommy," Beca said.

"Mommy?" Lucy said.

"Hey baby, how are you feeling?" Chloe asked.

"When you coming home?" Lucy asked.

"Soon. I just had to pick up some more juice and some food," she said. "But Beca is going to stay with you, so you just ask her for whatever you need."

"Even a cuddle?" Lucy asked. Beca just about melted.

"I'm sure Beca will give you a cuddle if you want one," Chloe's voice came through.

"Okay," Lucy said. "I love you."

"Love you too, Luce," Chloe said. Beca took the phone off of speaker and spoke into it normally.

"I think she's fine, she'd just woken up and you weren't here," Beca said.

"How are you feeling?" Chloe asked.

"Yeah, kind of crummy," Beca said. "I'll be fine."

"I picked up fruit and juice, and stuff to make you guys some chicken soup," Chloe said. "Figured home made was better than store bought."

"Did you get any other shopping done?" Beca asked.

"I did," Chloe said. "I'll be home really soon."

"Okay, see you soon," Beca said. She hung up and Lucy was watching her with wide eyes. She figured she may as well start with the basics.

"You okay sweetie?" she asked. "Need the potty?" Lucy nodded so Beca picked her up off of the bed and took her into the bathroom. After she was done, Beca grabbed a washcloth and ran it under cool water, washing the little girl's face.

"Feel a bit better?" she said.

"Yup," Lucy said. "Drink?" Beca smiled and picked Lucy up, carrying her into the kitchen. She got them both a little apple juice and then they made their way into the living room.

"Want me to put Tangled on?" Beca asked. Lucy nodded, so Beca got the movie out and then settled down to watch it with the little girl, pulling a blanket up over them.

"Beca?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah?" Beca asked.

"Mommy said you'd give me cuddles," Lucy said.

"Of course I will," Beca said. The little girl smiled and clambered into Beca's lap, Beca shifting so she was comfortable and making sure Lucy could still see the movie. She used one hand to smooth the hair back out of Lucy's face, and before long she could feel the weight of the toddler grow heavy as she fell back to sleep. Beca didn't see the point in moving, so she just dozed off with Lucy on her lap.

Chloe came home and the first thing she saw was her daughter snuggled up in Beca's lap, the both of them sleeping. It was an adorable sight and she couldn't help but snap a quick photo of the two of them before she went to pick Lucy up and put her back in bed.

Beca woke when she felt the weight of the toddler being lifted off of her. Chloe just carried Lucy back to her own room and put her down in bed before she spoke to Beca.

"How long has she been out?" Chloe asked.

"Bout half hour?" Beca said. "She had some juice and then we came out here to watch Tangled and she didn't last too long."

"No, when she's sick she basically sleeps around the clock til it's out of her system," Chloe said. "How are you feeling?"

"Eh," Beca said noncommittally. "Maybe a little hungry. And dying for a coffee."

"What about tea?" Chloe tried to negotiate.

"Nope. Coffee," Beca said. "But I'll drink it black and I'll drink a whole bottle of water after if it will make you happy."

"Deal," Chloe said. "I'll start making soup."

"You're pretty amazing you know that right?" Beca said.

"Well, duh," Chloe said. She kissed Beca on the forehead quickly. She really wanted to do a whole lot more than that but didn't want to risk getting sick. She busied herself at the counter chopping ingredients while Beca started the coffee.

"So how'd you go getting stuff for Lucy?" Beca asked.

"Well I got her birthday sorted, everything is in the trunk of my car," Chloe said. "Can I stash it all at your place?"

"Of course," Beca said. "I can even wrap it all if you like."

"Thank you," Chloe said. "That'll make keeping it away from toddler hands a lot easier. And I bought invitations. I know it's not much notice but I've still gotta get one to Stacie and the twins."

"Oh I'm seeing her tomorrow," Beca said. "I can pass it along then."

"Great," Chloe said.

"So you never answered me yesterday. What does Lucy want for her birthday? And Christmas for that matter?" Beca asked.

"Beca that's-"

"Oh come on," Beca said. "You're not seriously going to tell me I can't buy her presents on her birthday right now are you?" Chloe was a little taken aback by her abruptness. She just looked at her for a moment.

"You're already letting us have her party at your place," Chloe said. "You don't need to buy her presents on top of that."

"But I want to," Beca said. "I want to buy her gifts, and you, but I'm sure that you're probably going to tell me that I can't buy you anything for Christmas either."

"You just bought me a car," Chloe pointed out. "I keep telling you I'm not interested in your money." The redhead was surprised to see that Beca looked upset and was shaking her head.

"You keep saying that like I don't believe you," Beca said. "Which means you either think I'm an idiot and need to be told over and over, or you think that I think you're lying." She was speaking in a quiet tone to not wake Lucy but she was clearly angry.

"I don't think that," Chloe said.

"Then why do we keep having this discussion?" Beca asked. "If this is about people not thinking you're a gold digger, I can't help you with that. People think Stacie is after my money for Christ sake and we've been friends since long before I was famous. But I don't care what anyone thinks, Chloe. Isn't it enough that I love you guys and want to share this fortunate life I have with you? Or is this relationship going to be easier if I just give all my damn money away, just get rid of it all together?"

Chloe was just left open mouthed. She'd never seen Beca like this before. She couldn't even form a sentence to try and placate her or explain. Beca ran her fingers under her eyes - tears has gathered there though Chloe couldn't tell if it was because she was upset or angry.

"You know what? I appreciate your offer to look after me while I'm sick, but I think I'm just gonna go," she said.

"Beca wait," Chloe said. She reached a hand out to her, but the brunette shrunk back and disappeared to get her stuff. Beca came back with her jacket on and her keys in hand. She stopped in front of Chloe and kissed her on the cheek.

"I know I've probably over-reacted with this whole thing," she admitted. "But I want you to really think about this, Chloe. I can't keep having this discussion with you. I love you and I have accepted you and everything about you and your life without question, but you just can't seem to get a handle on this."

"Bec-"

"Just let me finish," Beca said. "This problem isn't going away. My money is absolutely nothing to me. But it seems to be something to you and you need to really consider whether this is something you're going to be able to handle, because you keep telling me you can, but stuff like this makes me think otherwise. It's her birthday for crying out loud. I bet Aubrey's gonna buy her a present, and Stacie and the kids will too. But I can't, because it's too much? I love you, and I'll call you later." Chloe just nodded and Beca walked out. Once the brunette was gone, Chloe just sank into a stool at the kitchen counter.

She couldn't figure out why this was a problem for her, but Beca was kind of right. She wasn't really able to move past Beca's wealth. She wanted to not need it, not seen to be wanting it or taking her charity. But every time she turned the money down, to Beca it must feel like she was turning her down. And she didn't want her to think that.

Beca only wanted to buy her daughter a present for her birthday. It was hardly unreasonable. She sighed. She needed to talk to someone who could help her out with this, because it wasn't going away on it's own. She picked her phone up and called her mother.

"Hi sweetie," her mother said.

"Hi mom," she said.

"What can I do for you?" her mother asked. "You sound upset."

"Okay," Chloe said. "I'll just lay it all out there. I'm seeing someone new, and we keep running into this problem. And when I say we, I mean me."

"Well, what's the problem?"

"I'll start by saying that the person I'm seeing is actually… well, she's a famous musician," Chloe said. "We met by accident and yeah."

"Famous musician?"

"Yep," Chloe said. "Her name is Beca Mitchell. Anyway, here's the thing. Obviously, she's got a lot of money. And I can't seem to get a handle on that. She's made very clear the fact that she loves me, she really doesn't have any concerns about her money and she doesn't think I'm a gold digger or that she needs to save me and Lucy. But every time she spends money on us I feel bad, and it just keeps cropping up over and over. Like, we just got into a fight because for some stupid reason I told her that it was unnecessary for her to buy Lucy a birthday present."

"Well, at least you admit that was stupid," her mother said. "What's the real problem here?"

"What do you mean?" Chloe asked.

"She has money, she wants to spend it on you, she doesn't think you're a gold digger, she loves you, she isn't looking at you like a charity case, so what is the problem, Chloe?" her mother asked.

"There's a reason I called you," Chloe sighed. "You always know."

"So?"

"Well… it's possible that…"

"Chloe Erin Beale, spit it out," her mother said.

"Mom, I love her so much and I feel like she's getting nothing out of this relationship," Chloe said, finally beginning to cry. "So every time she spends money on us I can't help but wonder what I'm giving her that remotely comes close to what she does for us."

"And is there a reason you haven't told her that?"

"Because I'm scared and I'm an idiot," Chloe sniffled.

"I take it by the tears that you love this girl an awful lot," her mother observed.

"I do."

"And she sounds like she cares about you, so talk to her. Look, I know you've been very independent since Tom ran off on and you Lucy, but you've also kept almost everyone out. You have a lot to offer people. So you're not flush with cash. How do you know that Beca isn't more interested in the love you show or the quality of the time you spend together?" her mother said. "You're allowed to be scared. But it sounds like Beca is trying to be the one who hangs around and refuses to be pushed away. So maybe she's worth pulling in." Chloe grabbed some paper towel and quietly blew her nose.

"I think you're right," Chloe said. "And she is. She's amazing, and I can't wait for you guys to meet her at Lucy's birthday party."

"So it's just a fight," her mother said. "Just make sure you talk it out with her, okay? It's the most important part of any relationship, as cliché as it sounds."

"Thanks mom," Chloe replied. "I appreciate your brutal honesty and your help."

"How is my Lucy anyway?" her mother asked.

"In bed with a cold," Chloe said. "Nothing too serious, she's just sniffly and sleepy."

"Oh no," her mother said. "How does she get along with Beca?"

"She loves Beca," Chloe said. "And Beca loves her as well. She's the first person I've dated who's really embraced her without question."

"Sounds like you really do have a keeper there," her mother said. "Let me know how it goes with her."

"I will. And I'll mail you Lucy's birthday invitation, but you know when it is," Chloe responded. "Love you."

"I love you, too," her mom said. "You'll be okay." She did feel better after she hung up the phone. But she wanted to make one more call before she tried to speak to Beca again. So she took a deep breath and dialed Stacie.

"Hello?" came the taller woman's voice.

"Hi, Stacie," Chloe said. "It's Chloe."

"Chloe?" Stacie said. "Is everything okay?"

"Um, maybe," Chloe said. "Beca and I had a bit of a fight and we're not breaking up or anything, but we keep having the one issue and I needed to ask you about that if you have a minute."

"Uh, yeah, just give me a sec."

"Am I interrupting?"

"A little, but I'm pretty sure Aubrey will want you guys to resolve this as much as I do," Stacie said.

"You're with Bree?"

"She's at my place, we're catching up with coffee while the kids are napping," Stacie said.

"No, god, don't let me interrupt," Chloe said. "I'll call later." She heard Stacie cover the phone and talk to Aubrey for a second.

"Aubrey says don't be ridiculous," Stacie said. "Hit me with it Chloe."

"Beca and I had a fight because I can't seem to get over the money thing," Chloe said. "And I know deep down that Beca doesn't care about whether or not I have money, but I can't help but wonder why she'd even be with-"

"Someone like you?" Stacie finished. "I think you should give Beca more credit than that. Or do you not listen to what she says to you?"

"What are you talking about?" Chloe asked.

"I'll be blunt, because I'm not good at being subtle," Stacie said. "What is the one thing that Beca has been craving in her life? I know she's told you."

"Someone to be close to, to share her time with, and to just be there for her and with her," Chloe said, her eyes falling closed.

"And you're giving that to her," Stacie said. "That's all she wants from you, Chloe. That's all she's ever wanted, someone who just loved her. She doesn't care that you have no money, that you can't buy her some fucking super expensive Christmas present. She just wants you to love her, and if you keep turning her money down, she's going to feel like you're turning her down."

"I don't want that," Chloe said softly. "I know I was an idiot today and I want to make it right. Thanks for not pulling any punches, Stacie."

"Hey, Beca's my girl," Stacie said. "You make her happy, Chloe."

"I'll let you get back to Bree, now," Chloe said. "Sorry for interrupting. Oh, and expect an invite to Lucy's birthday soon."

"Will do," Stacie said. Chloe hung up and knowing that Beca was probably just getting home or just about to get home, she texted her.

_I'm sorry. I've finally admitted what the problem is to myself, and I want to tell you about it when you're ready. I love you, Beca. And I really am sorry._

She returned to making the soup and had it cooking when she heard Lucy wake up. She headed into her daughter's room and allowed the toddler to climb up on her lap and hug her as she woke up properly.

"Hi," she whispered, smoothing her hair back and kissing her on the forehead.

"Hi Mommy," she said. "Where's Beca?"

"Beca went home," Chloe said. The little girl was confused. "You know how when you're sick you want to just stay home? Beca is sick too."

"She just wanna go home to her bed?" Lucy asked. Chloe nodded, deciding that was the far easier explanation than the truth.

"We'll see her soon," Chloe said. "But I'm making chicken soup and I can get you some strawberries while you wait?"

"Okay Mommy," Lucy said. They visited the bathroom first and Chloe took her into the living room and restarted Tangled from where they had stopped it before. She brought in the strawberries and this time gave her water instead of juice, before she went in to check on the soup. She saw that her phone had a message from Beca.

_Glad to hear it Chlo. I hate fighting with you. And I'm sorry I over-reacted. I love you, and after a nap I'll call you, promise. xx_

Chloe let out a sigh of relief and stirred the soup before she went and joined Lucy on the couch.


	12. Chapter 12

Chloe waited anxiously all day until Beca called her again. She was just paying some bills, Lucy crashed out on the couch next to her. Seeing Beca's name, she picked up hurriedly.

"Hey," she said. "I'm glad you called. How are you feeling?"

"Still kinda shitty," Beca said. "Like maybe worse than I did this morning." Chloe heard her cough and it didn't sound good.

"Oh no," Chloe said. "Do you need anything?"

"Jesse from the office is bringing something around I need to sign and he said he'd stop off and get some cold and flu medicine for me," Beca said. "So I'll be fine."

"You shouldn't be working while you're sick," Chloe said.

"I'm taking tomorrow off as well, that's why he's coming around," Beca said. "Maybe even the day after. And it's literally a signature and that's it, promise."

"Okay."

"How's Lucy?"

"Sleeping again," Chloe said. "But can we talk about before?"

"Of course," Beca said.

"I know it seems like I'm hung up on your money," Chloe said. "But it's just... I guess I've been feeling really inadequate as a girlfriend. You do so much for us, all these beautiful, wonderful things, and you're so generous with everything, but the honest truth is that I know I can't give you the same things and it leaves me wondering what you're even getting out of this."

There was a pause, and Chloe grew nervous so she spoke again.

"I know it's stupid and I talked to my mom and even to Stacie and I don't want this to be a problem, Beca," she said. "But I'm really insecure deep down and I struggle trying to convince myself that I somehow fit into your life even though you've done everything imaginable to show me that I do."

"I love you, Chloe Beale," Beca said as earnestly as she could through the illness. "God - I love you more than anything. And what you give me, your love and your time and being able to share in the day-to-day moments of life with you and Lucy... That's worth so much more to me than money. With you I feel like love and happiness are mine, not just some far off and out of reach concept, and I haven't felt that in a long time." Chloe was crying quietly.

"I'm sorry I was an idiot earlier," she said. "And I love you too."

"Please don't ever feel like you're not enough for me, or that you give me nothing," Beca said. "You and Lucy are everything. I just want to be with you guys and see you happy."

"I want that too," Chloe replied. "So are we okay?"

"Of course we are," Beca said. "But I need for you to trust me when I spend my money, Chloe. I'm capable of knowing when enough is enough."

"Okay," she promised. "I hate that it keeps becoming an issue. But I'll work on it because I want to be with you. I promise you, Beca."

"I want that too," Beca said, coughing again. When she was done the redhead could hear her wheezing into the phone.

"You don't sound good at all," Chloe said.

"As soon as Jesse leaves I'm going straight back to bed," she said.

"I'll call you tomorrow and check on you," Chloe said.

"Okay. I love you."

"I love you, too." Chloe hung up feeling better.

Beca was also glad that she and Chloe had talked about things. She really wanted it to work between them. And she did understand that it would be difficult for the redhead to suddenly go from being a single mom who worked part time to having a partner with what seemed like an endless bank account. She was proud of Chloe for her independence and her conviction that they'd managed this far and didn't need saving. But she wanted Chloe to understand that they were a team now, and hopefully for a long time yet to come.

She made herself some black tea and a single piece of toast, waiting for Jesse to come past. He dropped in not too much later with the paperwork she needed to sign, and a small armful of cold supplies.

"I asked for cold and flu tablets," Beca said. "Not an entire drugstore."

"I know," he said. "But I didn't know what kind you preferred so there's the non drowsy kind and the kind that knock you the hell out. And you sounded really congested so I got you a cough syrup as well, and then the guy at the drugstore said you can alternate your flu tablets with painkillers if your head hurts so I got some of those too."

"Thanks," she said. "That's pretty cool of you."

"Yeah, well, no offense, boss, but you sound like shit," he said. "And you've also looked better."

"I feel pretty shit so I'm not taking any offense," Beca said. "I'm just hoping that Lucy doesn't feel this bad."

"Lucy is the toddler, yeah?" he asked. "How's that all going?"

"It's going well," Beca said. "I mean, we're getting really serious, now."

"Aww that's nice," he said. "But I'm gonna go. I don't want to risk getting myself sick. But give me a call if you need anything, and I promise not to call you unless the studio is actually burning down. Like with flames and everything."

"Great," she said. "I'm pretty much planning on sleeping for a large part of tomorrow." She walked Jesse to the door and then took a hot shower, dressed herself in warm pajamas, took a few of the tablets that would help her sleep, and was out almost straight away.

When she woke up the next day it was to a couple of text messages from Chloe. The first was just checking in to see if she felt any better. The second was checking in as well, but with a more concerned feeling - she added that if she hadn't heard back from Beca by 2pm she was coming over there to physically check on her. It was fractionally before midday, so after she went to the bathroom and took more drugs, she called her back.

"Hey," she said when Chloe picked up. Her voice was still raspy and her head pounded. She didn't feel like there had been any improvement since the night before.

"Hey," Chloe said. "You still sound horrible."

"Yeah, I don't feel any better," Beca said. "Please don't tell me Lucy is this sick."

"No, she's actually doing a lot better today," Chloe said. "She's pretty resilient though, she never does stay sick for long."

"Whereas I might get a cold every now and then, but when I actually get sick, I get laid out properly," Beca said. "I don't want you guys getting sick though, so no sleepovers til I'm better."

"But can I still pop by this afternoon?" Chloe said. "Juliet is watching Lucy."

"I'd love to see you," Beca said. "Though I can't imagine I'll be decent company."

"And make sure you tell me if there's anything you need, okay?" Chloe said. "Text me. I should be there around four."

"Okay, I'll see you then," Beca said. Chloe knocked on Beca's door just before four. It took a few moments to answer it, the brunette clearly still not well.

"Oh god, Beca," Chloe said, immediately giving her a quick hug and then leading her back to the couch. "You're worse than I thought."

"Yeah I still don't feel great," she said. She'd clearly moved from bed to one of the couches, a thick blanket and pillow was set up and there was a telltale pile of tissues on the coffee table.

"Do you think you should see a doctor?"

"Maybe. But I kind of want to sleep for a million years." She climbed back under the blanket.

"I'll get Aubrey to come over," Chloe said. "Do you need anything? Do you need me and Lucy to come stay here and look after you?"

"No, I don't want to risk her catching this, Chlo," she said. "But something to drink might be nice." Chloe headed into the kitchen and dialed Aubrey simultaneously.

"Hey," Aubrey's voice came.

"Hey," Chloe said. "Are you at work?"

"No I'm on night shift again," Aubrey said. "I'll be leaving at about five."

"Any chance you can swing past Beca's and take a look at her?" Chloe asked. "We thought she just had the same sniffle as Luce but she's getting a lot worse and she isn't looking great."

"Of course," Aubrey said. "What are you thinking, flu?"

"Yeah," Chloe said. "I'm gonna hang out here til you come past, Juliet is with Lucy anyway."

"Sure, I'll leave in a couple of minutes," Aubrey said.

"Thanks, Bree. I owe you." Chloe hung up the phone and only then remembered that Aubrey had met up with Stacie. She reminded herself to ask her how that had gone. She grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and brought it to Beca, who was still huddled under the blanket looking pale and tired. She drank some of it and Chloe put it down for her while she curled back up into a ball.

She was just sitting in the chair next to Beca, watching while she slept, until Aubrey got there.

"Hey," Aubrey said as the redhead opened the door. "How is she?"

"Sleeping again," Chloe said. "Do you need me to wake her straight away or do you have time for coffee?"

"I have time for coffee," Aubrey said. She followed Chloe into Beca's kitchen and waited as the redhead made coffee for the both of them.

"So you guys clearly patched things up," Aubrey observed.

"Yeah," Chloe said. "You know I feel bad about the money stuff, Bree, but it's only because... Well. You know, sometimes I still wonder what Beca sees in me. What she possibly could be getting out of a relationship with a broke single mom and part time librarian."

"Chloe."

"I know," she sighed. "But we talked about it and I'm going to try not to think like that. Because I don't like it. I even called my mom and talked to her. And Stacie, which of course we still need to talk about."

"And what were you wanting to talk about exactly?" Aubrey asked.

"Well when I called Stace you were there," Chloe said. "How many times have you guys seen each other?"

"Three," Aubrey said.

"And how is it going?" Chloe prompted.

"It's going well," Aubrey said. "The first was a lot of talking. She's very clear in what she wants in a relationship. Which she says puts people off, but I'm fine with it. I prefer it."

"What's she after?"

"She doesn't want someone who's just after a fun time. Her kids are too important to introduce someone into the routine and environment of they're only going to be up for quickies and nothing more," Aubrey said. "She wanted me to understand that the twins are the ultimate priority, obviously, and the person she's dating should be ready to embrace parenthood because she's not going to tread around it. She wants serious and settled, and she's not saying we need to get married immediately but if there's no view to a future she'd rather cut the cord early."

"Wow, sounds like you guys are pretty on sync," Chloe said. They'd already talked about the fact that Aubrey was ready to find someone to settle down with, someone to build a future. And she knew that the blonde had always wanted kids.

"So I told her we were on the same page," Aubrey said. "I didn't lie to her, I explained that it might take me a second to find my feet helping with the twins, but that was only because this was unexpected, not unwanted. She appreciated the difference."

"So you've kissed her?"

"I did more than kiss her," Aubrey confirmed. "Second date."

"Aubrey Posen."

"Oh please," Aubrey said. "A woman had needs and we had chemistry. Plus, Stacie will even tell you she's an incredibly sexual being. She has a high sex drive and impressive stamina, in case you were wondering."

"I was not wondering," Chloe clarified. "But you guys are good?"

"We are. The sex is great. Our personalities match really well. She's gorgeous and smart, and I like her a lot. And the twins seem to like me so far so we can't really complain about that. So we're just going to see each other as often as we can and go from there."

"That's great, Bree," Chloe said. "If you guys ever want a childless date let me and Beca watch the twins for you. Lucy would love that."

"I will definitely take you up on that." They moved into the room where Beca was still sleeping on the couch. Chloe woke her gently while Aubrey grabbed a few things from her work bag.

"Chlo?" Beca mumbled.

"Hey," Chloe said softly, pushing hair back off of her sweat-dampened forehead. "Bree's come to take a quick look and make sure this isn't something serious."

"Hi Beca," Aubrey said softly. "From what Chloe says it's just the flu or something. But better to check you out just to be safe. So what's up?"

"Headache," Beca said. "Hurts to swallow. A lot. Tired and really sore." Aubrey had a quick look, took her temperature and then felt the glands on her neck.

"Chlo, have you felt these?" Aubrey asked. "I think it's more than the flu."

"What?" Chloe asked. She came over and gently ran her hands down under Beca's jawline until she felt it. "Oh." She might not have graduated med school but she knew what swollen glands felt like.

"Am I dying?" Beca asked.

"Are you still feeling worse?" Chloe asked.

"Yeah. Not improving, that's for sure. But it seriously feels like I'm swallowing a boulder," she mumbled.

"Have you ever had or been tested for glandular fever, Beca?" Aubrey asked.

"What?" Beca asked.

"Your glands are a lot more swollen than you'd normally see with the flu," Aubrey said. "Glandular fever, if that's what this is, will kick your ass, but there's still not much to be done about it, unfortunately."

"Okay," Beca said. "So what are we saying?"

"You might want to take some more time off," Chloe said. "And a blood test wouldn't hurt."

"Is there some kind of drug for this glandular fever?" Beca asked. Aubrey shook her head. "Then the blood test can wait til the morning. I just want to take a shower and sleep some more. And I'll call the office and take another week off. Should that be enough?"

"Beca, some people can take up to two months to fully recover," Chloe said. "So how about you take next week, we get the blood test and then figure it out."

"How do you even get glandular fever?" Beca wondered.

"It's really contagious, a lot of people have the virus but not everyone gets the symptoms," Aubrey explained. "It's saliva transferred. But it could be something as simple as Chloe might be carrying it because someone at the library didn't wash their hands. Or someone you work with. Because symptoms show up about four to six weeks after contact so there's no way of knowing."

"Oh," Beca said. "Well, I appreciate you stopping by, Aubrey. And I promise I'll get that blood test tomorrow. Hey, Chlo, can you go and grab me some painkillers, please?" Chloe got up and left the room, and once she was gone, Beca spoke to Aubrey again.

"How contagious is contagious?" she asked. "Do I need to stay away from Chlo? Or more importantly, Lucy? There's no way I want her feeling like this."

"Well, Chloe told me you guys were all sharing a bed," Aubrey said. "So it's too late now. All we can do is keep an eye on them and get them to do proactive things like wash their hands thoroughly, take some vitamin c, drink plenty of water. Chloe will know what to do."

"Okay," Beca said. "And I really do owe you."

"Let me write you a note for your GP," Aubrey said. She dug a pen out of her bag and a notepad, scribbled a letter and signed and dated the bottom for her, as Chloe returned with the painkillers.

"I should really get going," Aubrey said. "I hope it's not glandular fever, Beca, but I gotta say, I have that feeling. But feel better soon."

"Thanks, Aubrey," Beca said. Chloe showed her out and then returned.

"So I'm going to pick you up in the morning and take you to the doctor," she said to Beca. "And if it is glandular fever, I'm going to bring Luce here for a few days to help take care of you."

"That's not necessary," Beca said.

"But it is," Chloe said. "Lucy loves it here, and she's barely even sniffly now. You're going to feel pretty shitty for a while, and this is something I can actually do for you." Beca could sense that it was important to her.

"Okay," she said. "And thank you for coming to check on me, and calling Aubrey."

"So, I did manage to ask Aubrey about her and Stacie," Chloe said. "Want to hear the gossip?"

"Hell yes," Beca said.

"So they've hung out a couple of times now," Chloe said. "Aubrey is pretty into it. And they've had a full discussion about what they're expecting. Stace has made it very clear that she's not just up for a good time, and she doesn't have time for that kind of crap. Aubrey's the same. She's looking for someone serious."

"That's sounding good."

"And they already slept together," Chloe said.

"Holy shit," Beca said. "Actually, I believe that. Stacie is very - tactile. Not a slut or anything, but she totally thinks that if there's no physical chemistry it's best to find out early on."

"Apparently that isn't a problem," Chloe said.

"How's Aubrey with the twins?" Beca asked.

"Aubrey admitted that it's taking her a second to figure out the idea of parenting," Chloe said. "But she said it's because she wasn't expecting it, not because she doesn't want it. And that's the truth, she's always talked about someday having kids of her own."

"That's good," Beca said.

"I also told them if they want a kid free date every now and then to give us a yell," Chloe said.

"For sure," Beca said. Her eyes were starting to droop again.

"Did you want me to get you anything before I go?" Chloe asked, smoothing the hair from her face.

"No," Beca said. "If you can pass my phone I'll call my doctor and make that appointment for the morning. Then I just want to sleep."

"Okay," Chloe said. She got the phone and then kissed Beca on the forehead. "If you do need anything, you text me, doesn't matter what time."

"I love you," Beca said, holding the phone to her ear.

"I love you, too," Chloe said. Beca spoke briefly to whoever answered and made an appointment for the following day at ten am. "I'll see you at about nine thirty then?"

"Okay," Beca said. She went to get up and walk Chloe out.

"Beca."

"It's fine, Chlo. I have to pee anyway," she said. She walked Chloe to the door and closed it behind her. Then she made her way to the bathroom, figuring she may as well take a shower and then relocate to her actual bed, setting an alarm for the next day.


	13. Chapter 13

Beca sat next to Chloe in the pathology waiting room. She’d already seen her doctor and the man tended to agree with Aubrey and Chloe - it looked more like glandular fever than the flu. So she was sent up two floors to have some blood drawn, and she’d be able to come back that afternoon to find out what the results were.

Chloe squeezed Beca’s hand when her name was called and waited as the blood was drawn. Beca still looked like death warmed up. When she’d picked her up that morning, she hadn’t looked any better than the day before. The smaller woman had confirmed that her night’s sleep hadn’t been restful at all.

Chloe had said that despite the results, she would bring Lucy by and stay a few days to help her recover. Lucy had already shaken the cold she’d had, and Chloe was adamant they’d be fine because she knew what precautions she should be using to keep them as germ free as possible.

Beca appeared a few moments later, ready to get back home already. She couldn’t tell if she was hot or cold, and she wanted a shower too, even though she was both exhausted and a little hungry. She relayed these sentiments to Chloe as the redhead helped her into the car.

“I know, you must feel horrible,” Chloe said. “I’ll take you home and then go get Lucy and our things.” She drove back to Beca’s place and waited while Beca drank some juice and then some water, before tucking her back in.

“I won’t be long,” she promised, kissing her on the forehead.

“There’s keys,” Beca said drowsily. “Spare house keys in the bowl on the windowsill in the kitchen.” Chloe nodded and ran a hand through Beca’s hair soothingly as she went back to sleep.

She stopped in the kitchen before she left to make sure Beca didn’t need anything, and to see if she should pick anything specific up on the way back. Then she headed to Juliet’s to pick Lucy up.

“Hey,” Juliet said, opening the door. Lucy came running over.

“Mama!”

“Hey little girl,” Chloe said, scooping her up.

“How’s Beca?” Juliet asked.

“Ugh, not good,” Chloe said. “Almost certainly has glandular fever. But we’re going to go and stay at Beca’s for a couple of days and help take care of her. Does that sound like a good idea, Luce?”

“Beca sick?”

“Beca sick,” Chloe said.

“Poor Beca,” Lucy said. “Bath and bed.” She repeated the words firmly, the way Chloe did when Lucy was sick.

“That’s right,” Chloe said.

“Do you have a sec?” Juliet said. “I need to talk to you about me taking care of Lucy.”

“Sure,” Chloe said, coming in. “Is something wrong?”

“No,” Juliet said. “I love Lucy, and you, it’s just that now that I’ve graduated, things are changing a bit. There’s an early childhood center opening on Johnson Street and I’ve been offered a position there.”

“That’s great,” Chloe said. “I’m happy for you, Juliet. Of course, I understand that you won’t be able to fit us in. But I’m so thankful that you’ve been so great with Luce.”

“Well we don’t open til February,” Juliet said. “And the place isn’t booked out, really. Maybe you could send Lucy to the Center, if work could settle your schedule.”

“Oh, that’s a good idea,” Chloe said. “Hey, Beca’s friend Stacie was looking for somewhere to send her twins as well. Do you have like a fee schedule or anything?”

“I’ll email it to you,” Juliet said. “I don’t want to give you and Luce up. You’re like my family here. Since mom and dad moved to Virginia, I feel like you guys and my uncle Danny are all I have.” Chloe threw her arms around her and hugged her.

“You are family,” Chloe assured her. “We’ll make it work, whatever we have to do. When do you go to Virginia for Christmas?”

“Two days after Lucy’s birthday,” Juliet said.

“Great,” Chloe said. “I should probably get going, we need to pack a few things before we go back to Beca’s. But I’ll keep you updated about where I need you to pick Luce up or drop her off.” Lucy hugged Juliet and gave her a big kiss on the cheek before Chloe toted the little girl downstairs and buckled her into the car.

“So Luce,” she said, getting her daughter’s attention, “When we get to Beca’s, we need to remember that she’s sick and resting.”

“No playing with Beca?” Lucy asked.

“Well, she’s too sick,” Chloe said. “I’m sure she might watch a movie with you, but she won’t be able to run around and play until she feels better and the doctor says it’s okay.”

“Okay mommy,” Lucy said.

“But we’ll bring a couple of your ponies and some coloring as well,” Chloe said. “We will be sleeping over for a couple of days, so you’ll get to stay in your new bed.”

“New bed? Yay!” Lucy said. “I help sick Beca.”

“That’s a good girl,” Chloe said. She drove back to the apartment and assembled enough clothes to get them through a few days, and enough of Lucy’s toys to keep her entertained. Then she grabbed a grocery bag and packed up the soup ingredients she’d purchased previously, some Cheerios and whatever fruit she had so that it didn’t spoil. Then she loaded up the car and they went back to Beca’s.

Beca was still sleeping so Chloe switched the TV on quietly for Lucy and unpacked their things, leaving her clothes in the bag and placing it inside the bedroom door. She went and made her daughter a snack and was happy to wait until Beca woke.

“Mommy, someone’s ringing,” Lucy said. Sure enough, Beca’s cell was ringing from the kitchen. She went and answered it, seeing that it was Jesse from the office.

“Beca Mitchell’s phone,” she said.

“Chloe?” came a confused voice.

“Yes,” she replied.

“Oh. It’s Jesse, from the studio,” he said. “Just ringing to check on Beca, how is she?”

“Not good,” Chloe responded. “We went to the doctor this morning and he’s pretty certain it’s glandular fever. Waiting on the blood test results now.”

“Oh, that sucks,” Jesse said. “I guess she’s not coming back to work tomorrow.”

“No way,” Chloe said. “She’ll be out at least a week, likely closer to a month, I should think. She’s really struggling.”

“Well I’ll start moving her schedule in preparation,” he said. “Just tell her to keep me updated when she feels a bit better.”

“I will,” Chloe promised. “I’ll let her know you called.” He hung up and she went back in to check on Lucy. The toddler was happy singing along to Tangled and brushing the mane on her pony.

“Luce, mommy is just going to check on Beca,” Chloe said. “You sit tight for me and when I come back I’ll get you a drink.”

“Okay mommy,” Lucy said, eyes not even moving from the screen a little. Chloe headed up to Beca’s bedroom where the brunette was sleeping restlessly. It was like she could sense Chloe there, because after the redhead paused in the doorway, she woke up.

“Sorry,” Chloe said. “Just wanted to see how you were feeling.” Beca was pouting, and she still looked miserable. Chloe moved over and uncapped the water bottle on the bedside table, offering it to Beca. The smaller woman drank some and then set it down.

“Shitty,” she said simply. “Lucy here?”

“Watching Tangled,” Chloe said. “I brought some stuff so we can hang out here for a couple of days. And Jesse from the studio called. I told him you’d definitely be out a week, but more like a month.” She didn’t think it was possible but Beca’s pout grew.

“Doc called yet?”

“No, but I can call and see when they want you back if you like,” Chloe said. “Do you need anything?”

“I’m a little hungry,” Beca said. “And I want a blistering hot shower. Or bath. Because of the sitting.”

“Well, how about I run a bath,” Chloe said. “You can jump in, I’ll make soup and call the doctor’s office.”

“You’re the best girlfriend ever, you know that right?” Beca said. “I can be a moody little thing when I’m sick.”

“Eh, I have a toddler, so moody little things are somewhat of an area of expertise,” Chloe said. “I’ll duck into the bathroom and run that bath.”

“Blisteringly hot,” Beca reminded her.

“Mmm, but that might dehydrate you,” Chloe said. “Here’s the deal. I’ll make it hot but you have to finish that bottle of water before you get in, and you’ll also drink the bottle I give you with your soup without complaining.”

“Such a taskmaster,” Beca said. “Man I wish I could kiss you right now.” Chloe just leaned over and pressed her lips to Beca’s forehead. It felt cooler than it did that morning, and that was a good sign especially since she’d just been sleeping.

“I think your fever is finally going,” she said, smoothing her hair back. Beca’s eyes met hers and she had to admit, the kissing thing didn’t sound so bad, but there was the obvious problem with that.

“If this is glandular fever, which I’m sure it is thanks to you and the doc,” Beca said, “How long til I can kiss you properly again?”

“To be safe, maybe two weeks?” Chloe said. “If I’m not symptomatic by then, we should be fine.”

“Two whole weeks,” Beca sighed. “That sucks.” She briefly let her head burrow into the crook of Chloe’s neck.

“I’ll go run that bath,” Chloe said, handing Beca the water bottle. She went into the bathroom and ran a hot bath. Beca came in and undressed, and Chloe promised to come back and check on her. She went downstairs and used Beca’s cell to call the doctor’s office.

The clerk who answered said that her test results had come back in and that the doctor wanted to speak to Beca. She explained Beca wasn’t available, and was transferred to the doctor’s phone.

“Beca?” the doctor said.

“No, this is Chloe Beale,” she said. “Beca’s girlfriend. I just was hoping to find out what would be a good time to bring her back.”

“I’m going to come past,” he replied. “Better not to come back out again.”

“It is glandular fever,” Chloe said.

“I can’t confirm that to anyone but her,” he said in a tone that indicated she was a hundred percent correct. “Is five thirty okay?”

“Yes, I’ll make sure she’s up, thank you.” She hung up the phone.

The doctor arrived right on time. Beca was settled on the couch with a bottle of water next to her. Lucy was on one of the big chairs away from Beca (Chloe had told her that this was her "sick space" which seemed to make sense to the toddler) as Chloe led the physician in. 

"Hey doc," Beca said. "I'm assuming it's bad news, what with the house call and all."

"It's glandular fever," he confirmed. "I'm not entirely surprised, Beca, we've talked about how your work commitments could really do some damage to your immune system. It's not uncommon for people who work insane hours like you do to burn out. And when your immune system gets lowered, you catch every little thing going around."

"Yeah I see that," Beca said. "This is a rest and fluids kind of deal right?"

"Right," the doctor said. "There's nothing I can prescribe that's going to make this any more pleasant. How's the fever?"

"I think it's broken," Chloe said. 

"Then you should be markedly more comfortable," he said. "Now. Most people can return to sedentary work in a week. Beca, I want you to consider a longer break. You need time off."

"Like a month?" Beca said. "Chloe reckons a month would be best."

"Chloe's a smart woman," the doctor said. "A month is good. And I'd like to see you in about three weeks just to make sure you're progressing okay. And also so we can talk about workload stress. Again."

"Nah that won't be a thing," Beca said. "What was the one excuse I kept giving you doc?"

"That you had nothing else you wanted to spend time on," he said.

"And now I do," she said. "I've got Chloe and Lucy. And I already talked to Chloe about me wanting to cut back a bit."

"Then you hang on to Chloe," he said. "If she's the thing that's getting you thinking this way, I'm all for it. Though, I think a separate bed for at least the next 72 hours?"

"Okay," Chloe promised, though Beca pouted. 

"And if she gets worse-"

"I'll call your office immediately," Chloe said. "Promise."

"Fluids," he said, getting to his feet. "If the fever bothers you some painkillers. And plenty of rest, Beca. Expect to sleep two thirds of the day especially the first week."

"Right," Beca said. "Thanks for stopping by doc, I appreciate the house call."

"Not a problem," he said. "See you soon." Chloe escorted him out and then returned.

"Beca sick?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah," Chloe said.

"Sure am, kiddo," Beca said. "But I know that you and Mommy are gonna take really good care of me."

"Beca very sick?" Lucy asked. "What about my party?" The toddler sounded distraught at the idea of Beca not being able to come to her birthday.

"Oh she'll still be able to come to the party," Chloe said. "It's a different kind of sick. It's going to make her very tired and sleepy for a long time."

"Oh," Lucy said. "Can I hug Beca?"

"You can give her a quick hug," Chloe relented. "More in a couple of days, sweetie." Lucy climbed down off her chair and scampered over to Beca, giving her a quick but toddler-tight hug. Then she stood back.

"Feel better?"

"I do feel a bit better, thank you," Beca said. It was hard not to feel better when Lucy was being so cute. 

“I should probably give Lucy a bath,” Chloe said. “You okay?”

“I’m fine,” Beca said. “I’ll give the guys at the studio a call and tell them I’m taking the month off on doctors orders. But-”

“What?” Chloe asked.

“I know there’s going to be one meeting in about three weeks that I absolutely have to take,” Beca said. “It’s time sensitive.”

“What is it?”

“Um, it’s with the guys who run the scholarship foundation I have?” Beca said. “We need to select the five recipients for the next academic year. It needs to be done before Christmas.”

“You have a foundation?” Chloe asked.

“Yeah,” Beca shrugged. “I like, had all this cash and I wasn’t doing anything with it. So I needed to do something with it, right? So every academic year I grant five students scholarships so they can study music when they might not have otherwise had the opportunity. It’s not something I put my name on, I don’t do it for the accolades or anything. I’ve got people who take care of all of it, I just like to be involved in turning the dozen or so shortlisted into five recipients.”

“Wow, Beca, that’s amazing,” Chloe said. “And beautiful.”

“I just remember how hard mom worked and I worked and I know I had it better than a lot of others,” Beca said. “It’s a no-brainer.”

“Well you should be improving a lot by then, and it’s just the one meeting,” Chloe said conspiratorially. “I won’t tell if you won’t.”

“Great,” Beca said. “Love you, Chloe.”

“I love you too,” she replied. “Come on Luce, bubble bath time.” She scooped the toddler up and headed for the upstairs bathroom, a smile playing over her lips. There were evidently still many things to learn about Beca Mitchell.

By the time Lucy had been bathed and dressed in her pajamas, Beca had made her calls to Jesse and her work partner and ordered dinner. Chloe brought her daughter back down, settling her with some coloring at the coffee table.

“I ordered dinner,” Beca said. 

“I was going to cook,” Chloe said. “And what are you going to eat, you still can’t swallow properly.”

“Chinese food,” Beca said. “I just got soup for me. But you’ve been doing a lot of running around for me, so tonight we take it easy. And by we, I mean you.”

“It’s no trouble,” Chloe said, dropping down next to Beca. 

“I know,” Beca said. “But maybe I might feel better just by having you hang out and relax with me?” She did a little fake pout and Chloe laughed.

“Okay then,” Chloe said. “But Becs, I do have to sleep in the spare room at least for a couple more days. You heard the doctor.”

“I know,” she said. “I called Jesse and Pierce, by the way. Obviously, they want me to get better. Jesse is clearing everything off my schedule til after New Year except that one meeting.” She yawned.

“Getting tired again?” Chloe asked, smoothing some hair out of her face.

“Yeah,” Beca said. “I’m just gonna doze til the food gets here okay? Don’t let me sleep through dinner. I know he said I’m gonna sleep a lot but I’d still rather eat meals with you guys, if that’s okay. And my bag’s on the kitchen counter, just grab cash out.”

“You’re adorable,” Chloe said. “I’ll wake you when it gets here.” Beca let her eyes close and quickly dozed off. Chloe joined Lucy on the floor and they colored together until the doorbell went. Chloe fetched the food and paid the delivery boy, then went to get Lucy so they could wash their hands before dinner.

“What ‘bout Beca?” Lucy asked, pointing at the sleeping woman.

“I’ll wake her,” Chloe replied. She gently shook her.

“Mmm?” Beca stirred and mumbled.

“Babe, dinner is here,” she said. “Luce and I are just gonna wash up.”

“Yeah,” Beca said, sitting up. She reached for the water on the table next to her and took a long drink. “Okay I’m up.” Chloe and Lucy went and washed up, and Chloe unpacked the food on the dining table. Normally she’d be okay eating in the living room, but with rice, she preferred a table where Lucy was concerned. Beca appeared a moment later, having washed her face to wake herself up better. 

“Beca wake up?” Lucy said.

“Yeah,” Beca said. “Woke up so I could have dinner with you and Mommy.”

“Still sick?”

“Yeah, kiddo, I’m still sick,” she said. “But I’m gonna be better after I get lots and lots of rest.”

“Okay,” Lucy said. She turned her attention to trying to get her fork into a piece of chicken in front of her.

“You’re not getting a fever again?” Chloe asked, worried. Beca had woken up pretty sluggish. She pressed the back of her hand to Beca’s head.

“No, Chlo, just super tired,” Beca said. “I think after dinner it’ll be a hot shower and bed for me.”

“What about a story?” Lucy asked. “Will you have a story with me?”

“I can read you both a story,” Chloe said, and Beca nodded, which made the toddler cheer. Beca ate the soup in front of her, tackling the wontons in it with a little difficulty thanks to the glandular fever. But she got them down and felt a lot better having actual food in her system. She drank the rest of her water and Chloe got her another bottle straight away. 

She took it upstairs and left it on the bedside table as she took a hot shower and changed into clean pajamas. Chloe and Lucy were waiting on her bed when she came out. 

“Hey,” Chloe said. “Waiting for you so we can read a story.” Chloe held up a copy of Hello Zoo. Beca climbed into the bed next to Chloe, waiting for Lucy to settle herself in a prime position to see the pictures. As Chloe began to read, Beca smiled. If this is what a domestic life with Chloe and Lucy was going to be like, she was ready for it.


	14. Chapter 14

Chloe and Lucy ended up staying at Beca’s for another four days. Beca had improved markedly and was able to swallow properly now. She was just dealing with the ongoing fatigue and achiness. They would have gone home earlier, but Chloe had promised Beca she’d share the bed with her at least once before they left her place.

That night Beca had slept with Chloe’s arm slung over her body, warm and content. It was crazy to her that her sleep would be that much more improved just through the presence of the redhead in the bed next to her, but she swore she slept better with Chloe than without.

But Chloe had to go back home, they were running out of clothes and she had some early morning shifts to take care of coming up. But that Saturday was Lucy’s birthday, so they were definitely weren’t going to be going too long without seeing each other again.

Stacie dropped around to see Beca one afternoon, finding the smaller girl semi-crashed out on the couch with some medical drama on TV in front of her. She’d let herself in, since neither of them ever bothered with keys at each other’s houses. When Beca had properly woken up, Stacie made them both cups of coffee.

“So Lucy’s party this Saturday,” Stacie said as she added cream to hers. “Ready to meet the Beales?”

“What?” Beca asked.

“Chloe’s parents,” Stacie reminded her.

“Oh, I forgot about that,” Beca said. “Um… Yeah. I reckon I am.”

“Don’t sound overconfident or anything,” Stacie said.

“I’m sure they’ll be fine,” Beca said. “I’ll be honest with them. I just want to make Chloe and Lucy happy. That’s all I want.”

“And that’ll be enough for them,” Stacie said.

“Anyway,” Beca said, “How are things with you and Aubrey? Chloe told me you guys already slept together.”

“You know my policy, Bec,” Stacie said. “I like to know if there’s chemistry early on. And we’ve got it. She’s very… let’s just say if you think I’m domineering…” She let the sentence trail off.

“Okay, now that was probably an overshare,” Beca concluded. “But how are Lincoln and Maya doing with it?”

“They like her fine so far,” Stacie said. “Aubrey’s pretty good with them, but they’re three, so some days they’re little angels and some days they’re hell on wheels.”

“But it’s a thing?”

“Yeah, it is,” Stacie said. “She’s great company, the sex is good, it’s working out with the munchkins. We’ll keep going this way for a while, see how it pans out.”

“Who’d have figured we’d find ourselves dating a pair of smoking hot best friends?” Beca said. Stacie laughed and said she should probably go and rescue Cynthia Rose from the twins. Beca thanked her for coming and said she’d see her Saturday afternoon.

By the time Saturday afternoon rolled around, Lucy was bursting out of her skin. Aubrey had come over early in the morning to help Beca decorate the house - she originally was going to handle it on her own, but she just figured she wouldn’t have the energy. The cake was delivered by a baker friend of Juliet’s and sitting in a box on the counter, an impressive tiered cake frosted in pale blue and purple with a Rainbow Dash on top. 

Chloe’s parents had arrived late the night before and would be helping Chloe bring over the prepared food, due to arrive shortly. The weather was getting chilly, but it wasn’t raining or snowing, so the kids would be able to play on the equipment in the yard. Beca had an outdoor heater that she had already turned on to warm the deck area, and it wouldn’t be too bad at there. 

Chloe still had her spare key so she unlocked the door and called out to Beca when they arrived. Beca went out to see if she could be useful to them, only to be shooed back inside. She shrugged and put the coffee pot on as Chloe came into the kitchen with the first armload and an excited now three year old.

“Lucy!” Beca exclaimed, she crouched down to give the toddler a big hug. “Happy birthday little princess. You’re getting so big now, pretty soon you’re gonna be bigger than me!”

“I’m three now,” Lucy said excitedly.

“Three? Wow,” Beca said. “That’s big. Stacie is coming soon and she’s bringing Link and Maya too.”

“Yay!” Lucy said. “Mommy, Link and Maya be here soon.” Beca stood up and found herself face to face with an older couple that had to be the Beales. 

“Mom, Dad,” Chloe said. “This is Beca Mitchell. Beca, these are my folks Susan and Doug.”

“It’s really nice to meet you guys,” Beca said. She shook Doug’s hand and was hugged by Susan - clearly Chloe’s affectionate streak was genetic.

“How are you?” Susan fussed. “Chloe says you’ve got glandular fever.”

“I’m doing a lot better,” Beca said. “I’m off work until the New Year, taking a nice long break to make sure I get enough rest. Would you like some coffee?” Chloe beamed and she and her dad went back to the car for another load while Beca made coffee for everyone and poured some juice for Lucy. 

Chloe had Stacie and the twins in tow when she returned, Aubrey following Doug in with an armload of stuff. Introductions were made, and the three kids then ran to play in the yard, Stacie and Aubrey following behind to supervise. 

“And how are you?” Chloe asked Beca, once the noise had subsided.

“Yeah, I’m good,” Beca said. “I’m glad Aubrey was here to help with the decorations though, I’m already a little tired.”

“Well, why don’t you take your coffee out and watch the kids with Dad, Mom and I will take care of all of the food,” Chloe said. “We’re just waiting on Juliet and then we’re good to start eating.”

“If you can’t find anything, come get me,” Beca said, kissing her quickly on the cheek. Beca grabbed a throw rug before she headed outside, because she’d been feeling the cold a lot more since she was sick. Then she lowered herself into one of the chairs so she could see the toddlers running riot in the yard.

“Glandular fever knocking you around a bit?” Doug asked.

“Yeah,” Beca said. “I’m tired a lot, cold.” They drank their coffee in silence for awhile until Doug spoke again.

“Chloe talks about you a lot, you know,” he said. “She’s real serious about you, Beca. And you know that means I worry.”

“Of course you do,” Beca said. “Most dads would.”

“Most?” he said. “All.” Beca just raised her eyebrow.

“Not all,” she said. “But I assure you Mr Beale, I’m just as serious about Chloe and Lucy. My life has been changed - and improved - in so many ways since meeting them. I just want them to be happy, but if they wanted I’d give them the world.” Doug nodded and sipped his own drink.

“That’ll do,” he said. “And call me Doug.” Beca nodded and pulled the blanket around her a bit tighter.

Chloe and her mother watched from inside as Beca and Doug exchanged a few words with one another. Chloe’s dad wasn’t much for talking, but he looked happy, so that was a positive sign.

“She looks tired,” Susan said. 

“She’s improving,” Chloe said. “It can take some people months to fully recover from glandular fever. But I talked her into staying off work for at least a month. Her doctor said she needed the break.”

“She’s cute,” her mother observed. “I Googled her, after you called.”

“Mom,” Chloe groaned. 

“I just wanted to make sure she wasn’t going to involve you in some sort of drama or scandal,” Susan said. “But she’s not scandalous. She seems to shy away from media unless absolutely required.”

“It’s not a part of her job she enjoys very much,” Chloe confirmed. “But she makes me so unbelievably happy, Mom.”

“I can see that,” she replied. The doorbell rang and Chloe called out that she would answer it, since it was probably Juliet. It was, and once she’d been launched upon by Lucy in the yard and some more introductions were made, Chloe declared it time to eat.

The kids raced over and everyone crowded around the tables to share in the food that Chloe and her mom had prepared. Party hats were produced from somewhere, and everyone was required to wear one. Chloe thought Beca looked especially cute in her sparkly green hat. After they ate, they moved on to presents so that they would have a break before cake appeared.

Lucy was beyond thrilled with all her gifts, in that manic way that toddlers were. Beca had ended up getting her a box set of Dr Seuss books and a miniature pink armchair for her to have at her place. Stacie had to go and fetch it from the den to show her, but the three year old redhead had screamed in excitement.

“A big girls chair?!” she said. “Wow!”

She finished opening her presents, thanking every single one of them with a hug and kiss, including Maya and Lincoln. Chloe then sent the kids outside to play for a while longer before they had cake. Beca went down to watch them climb around like monkeys, giggling and singing as they swung around.

“Hey,” Chloe’s voice came as she sidled up beside her.

“Hey,” Beca said. “If I was feeling better, I’d jump on there with them.”

“I don’t doubt that for a second,” Chloe said. “My dad said he likes you.”

“That’s good,” Beca said. “We didn’t talk much. But I feel like, maybe he doesn’t talk much in general?”

“He doesn’t,” Chloe confirmed.

“I mean, that’s probably because he knows there’s no way he’s getting a word in edgewise with you and your mom around,” Beca teased. Chloe gasped and bumped her with her elbow.

“You don’t mean that,” she said.

“No,” Beca said. “I mean, I get it. I can be terse. So I get your dad.” They heard Aubrey calling from the deck that they were going to start bringing cake out, so they should corral the kids. It didn’t take much, they’d heard the word cake and bolted for the deck.

They sang a rousing rendition of happy birthday to Lucy, who was grinning from ear to ear and conducting, before blowing out the candles on her cake. Everyone applauded and Susan quickly took the cake back into the kitchen to portion it out for everyone.

“Hey Stace,” Beca said. The taller woman came over. “Do me a favor?”

“What’s up?” she asked.

“Can you snap a picture of me and Chloe and Lucy?” Beca asked, tugging her phone out. 

“For sure,” Stacie said. Beca got Chloe and Lucy and the three of them posed for the photo with their party hats on. Stacie handed her phone back, and they immediately took a look at the photo.

“It’s a great photo,” Chloe said as Lucy took her seat to eagerly await the cake.

“That’s the first family photo I’ve taken in about fifteen years,” Beca said quietly, her eyes not straying from the little screen at all. Chloe turned and wrapped her arms around her for a second. Her eyes were tearing up just a little bit. That was something that had never even occurred to her. Beca had no family. And now it was her and Lucy.

“Well, we’ll take a million,” Chloe whispered to her. Beca nodded, and set the photo as the lock screen on her phone, smiling at it once more. 

“I’m getting this one printed up for the studio,” she said. “Look at Lucy. Happiest kid in the world right there.” 

“I love you, Beca,” Chloe said. 

“Yeah, I love you, too,” Beca replied, sticking the phone in her back pocket. Susan handed her some cake and she went and sat between Aubrey and Doug. It didn’t take too much longer for the kids to start crashing down from their sugar highs, and that was the perfect cue to end the party. Everyone simultaneously began tidying up, Chloe having made sure that Beca wasn’t left to do it all in her heavily fatigued state. It didn’t take long, and Beca found herself without much to do. Stacie and Aubrey left together soon after with the twins, and Chloe’s father began loading stuff into the car. 

“I don’t think it’s all going to fit,” Chloe worried.

“Leave some here,” Beca said. “I’ll bring it to your place tomorrow after we have brunch.” They were going out with Chloe’s parents before they left to go back to Florida, and afterward they were going back to Chloe’s to put up their Christmas tree. Beca didn’t even have one, which Chloe was surprised at. She promised Chloe she’d buy one so that Lucy wasn’t traumatised when she came over, but she was more than happy to go and help them decorate theirs. 

“Great idea,” Chloe said. “That chair is gorgeous by the way. You picked a good present.”

“I almost picked a unicorn beanbag,” Beca said. “But there was one benefit to the chair apart from it being super cool.”

“What was that?” Chloe asked. Her mom was helping Lucy get her jacket on and then taking her out to the car.

“I fit in that chair as well,” Beca said. “I kinda hoped it would be a thing. Me and Lucy reading Dr Seuss together.”

“That is adorable.” Her voice got a lot quieter. “I actually find it really hot when you’re being all domestic and parental and stuff.” Beca leaned in a little closer.

“Oh really?” she said, raising an eyebrow.

“And in about a week’s time when you’ve gotten that glandular fever bug out of your system, I plan on kissing you senseless,” Chloe promised. “One more week.”

“This one week is gonna be torture,” Beca said. But she stood on her toes and kissed Chloe on the forehead. 

“I can see how tired you are, though,” Chloe said. “You’ve got dark circles under your eyes. You going to take a nap?” Beca nodded and she followed the redhead out to the car and stuck her head in back to say goodbye to Lucy.

“Did you have a fun party Luce?” Beca asked.

“Yup,” she said. “Thanks for having my party for me, Beca.”

“Hey, that’s my pleasure,” she said. “I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”

“Okay, we’re making Christmas. Love you!” She waved at Beca as she closed the door. Beca smiled and waved back as the car pulled away, then headed back inside. The house did not look like it had just held a toddler’s birthday party. It was almost pristine. She headed upstairs to take a hot bath before crawling into bed. She set an alarm to wake her in an hour, not wanting to throw her sleeping schedule off again. 

She woke up to the beeping noise about an hour later and forced herself out of bed. She headed downstairs and went to find something to eat. She opened the fridge and smiled. There were two containers in the fridge that clearly did not belong to her, that she hadn’t seen in the morning. They had a note on top in Chloe’s loopy writing.

Mom was worried about you and in her world that means food. One is chicken and potatoes, one is vegetables. xxx

That was sweet. She took a sec to text Chloe and asked her to thank Susan for the food. She popped them into the microwave and then ate sitting at her kitchen counter. 

She knew she still had a lot of time off to contend with, but she could already feel herself getting antsy. Sure, she got tired at the drop of a hat, but she also wanted not to just sit and stare at the television all day. She wanted there to be something else she could do. She could always read, but she’d read everything on her bookshelf. She’d entertained the idea of buying some kind of e-book, but she didn’t know much about them. Stacie probably would though, so she made a mental note to ask her about them next time they hung out.

She pulled her laptop out and sat on the couch. She still hadn’t gotten Christmas presents for Chloe and Lucy yet. She’d bought stuff for the twins, for Stacie and CR, and the couple of people at work she considered to be friends more so than just colleagues. Lucy, she’d just wanted to wait until after her birthday before she started thinking about that. She didn’t want to do anything too over the top for Chloe, but she wanted to do something that would show her how much she meant to her. She initially thought about jewelry but then she thought that might be a bit boring. 

She ended up calling Aubrey. The blonde had told her that jewelry was actually a better idea than she gave it credit for. Because she hadn’t ever been gifted jewelry before, not by a partner, and the last piece of jewelry she’d probably been given was a necklace from her parents when she’d graduated college. She also didn’t buy much for herself, because she couldn’t justify spending money on herself when she had Lucy to support. That cemented it for Beca. She knew of a couple of places that might stock the kind of thing that she was after. She’d go out Monday, she decided. 

The next day she met all four Beales at one of the quieter cafes on the far side of town. Lucy was excited about the prospect of pancakes, naturally, and they all placed orders with the waiter.

“You’re still coming to help with Christmas?” Lucy asked Beca, as she galloped a Twilight Sparkle across the table.

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Beca said solemnly. Lucy beamed and continued playing with the pony. Chloe reached across to Beca and let her hand gently massage the back of her neck. It actually felt pretty incredible.

“How are you feeling?” Chloe asked.

“Same as I’m always feeling,” Beca shrugged. “Vaguely tired and sluggish. But I’m okay. Glad I took the month off, though. Aubrey said that most people don’t have to miss much work or whatever, but knowing the hours that I can sometimes do when someone’s recording, I’d be wrecked.”

“You are getting enough fluids and proper rest, though, dear?” Susan asked. 

“Yeah,” Beca said. “Thanks again for sneaking that dinner into my fridge. I was totally wondering what I was going to eat.”

“I don’t mean to gossip,” Susan said, “But Aubrey’s part of the family, and I noticed her and Stacie seem quite close?”

“They’re dating, Ma,” Chloe said simply. “Still early. But Stacie’s great and they’re both happy.”

“The twins are gorgeous,” Susan said. “And I’m glad Lucy has found a couple of playmates.”

“Oh that reminds me,” Chloe said, “Beca, Juliet forwarded me the email with all the information for the childcare place she’ll be working at. Stacie mentioned she wanted to look at putting them in preschool, I figured she might want to get in early.”

“Oh yeah, it’d be great if the twins and Luce could go together,” Beca said. They enjoyed brunch together, stretching it out until almost lunchtime. Beca was starting to get tired when they finally called it. Lucy was a bit grizzly too, so Chloe declared nap time for both of them. Susan and Doug were returning to the hotel to collect their bags and then head to the airport for their flight home. 

The elder Beales hugged everyone else, Susan taking a moment to whisper to Beca that it was lovely to meet her and she hoped that they would see each other a lot more. That made Beca smile as they separated ways.

“I’ll meet you at yours,” Beca said to Chloe once Susan and Doug had left. “Do you need me to stop and grab anything?”

“Not unless you want something other than lasagna for dinner,” Chloe said. She buckled Lucy into the car seat in her car. 

“Nope, that’s fine,” Beca said. She closed the door for Chloe and headed to her own car a few spaces down. She headed to Chloe’s place and dragged an armload of stuff upstairs with her. There was only a few things left in the car now, and Chloe went down to get the last of it. 

Lucy was already settled down for her nap, and it sounded pretty good to Beca. Chloe made her drink some water first, tugging the blankets up to her waist and kissing her on the forehead before she left her to sleep.


	15. Chapter 15

Chloe had already brought out the Christmas tree by the time Beca and Lucy had woken up from their naps. It was perched in a corner of their living room, lights already strung up on it. Lucy had clapped and squealed excitedly having seen it. Beca took a cup of coffee to properly wake up, but Chloe put on some Christmas carols and fished out Santa hats for the three of them to wear - tradition.

 

They took their time decorating the tree. From time to time Beca would lift Lucy up and help her get the ornament in the perfect position. At one point she turned around and Chloe was snapping their picture on her cell phone. Once they’d done it all, Chloe picked Lucy up so she could put the star on top of the tree. Beca flicked the lights on and they just sat there for a while, watching from the floor.

 

“Looks great,” Beca said. She couldn’t really remember feeling this happy just looking at a Christmas tree before. Chloe scooted around and sat in front of the tree, pulling Lucy with her and beckoning to Beca. She moved to where Chloe was sitting, and the redhead tugged her phone out. Lucy squished somewhere on Chloe’s lap, and Chloe’s arm wrapped tightly around her shoulder, she snapped a selfie of the three of them with the Christmas tree in the background.

 

The three of them checked out the photo and deemed it good, and Chloe immediately set it as her lock photo. Then Beca leaned across and kissed her softly. Chloe kept it going a little longer than she should have.

 

“You shouldn’t be doing that til I’m all clear,” Beca said.

 

“I love you,” Chloe said, wrinkling her nose slightly. “And I know, we’re supposed to wait another week, but I miss kissing you.”

 

“I miss it, too.” Lucy scampered off to see if she could find her Rudolph stuffed toy in her bedroom.

 

“And I kind of feel like if I was going to get sick, I’d be symptomatic already,” Chloe said. “I mean, you’re gonna need more energy before I can do what I really want to do to you. But I’ll settle for just being able to kiss you.” Beca wasn’t going to argue, she leaned in and kissed her deeply.

 

“I love you too,” she said.

 

They didn’t do much for the rest of the day, just played with Lucy, stared at the tree some more and ate dinner. But to Beca it felt like a perfect way to spend a day. She and Chloe had tucked Lucy into bed and then they’d curled up together on the couch. They weren’t really watching whatever was on the television, Chloe had her laptop out and was reading the email from Juliet while Beca just relaxed.

 

“How many days a week are you going to send Lucy to preschool?” Beca asked.

 

“That depends on two things,” Chloe said. “Whether work can give me a permanent schedule instead of just telling me I’ll work a certain amount of hours a week, and how much this is gonna cost me.”

 

“Chlo, you know you don’t have to worry about the money,” Beca said. “I know, she’s your daughter. But I care about her and you. And if you need a little help with childcare fees, I want to do that.”

 

“Are you sure?” Chloe asked. Beca fiddled with the edge of the throw she was currently under.

 

“Can I be really honest with you?” she said. “Like, possibly too honest?”

 

“Of course.”

 

“When I think about us,” she said, “I think really far ahead. It hasn’t been very long that we’ve really been together. But I can’t help it. I think about things like you guys maybe moving into my place or us getting a new one. I think about dropping Lucy off for her first day of elementary school, about helping you go back to med school if that’s what you want, and I even think about… you know, us getting married. You guys are my family. I love you both. I think big, forever things when I think about us, Chloe. So I’m sure that I want to help you out, because I’m sure I love you and plan on keeping you around for hopefully forever.”

 

“You think about us getting married?”

 

“Heck yeah,” Beca said. “You’d look really gorgeous in some white dress. Your hair, your eyes… And I’ve been told I can rock a suit pretty hard. Lucy could be the flower girl…” Chloe didn’t think she’d ever felt her heart beat so hard in her life. She closed the laptop and banished it to the coffee table so she could pull Beca toward her and kiss her passionately. She felt warm tears hit her cheeks - even surprising herself.

 

“I love you so much, Beca Mitchell,” she said against her mouth, resting her forehead on the other girl’s. “So much.” She felt Beca’s thumbs brushing the tears off her cheeks.

 

“I love you too,” Beca murmured, then kissed her softly on the forehead before wrapping her arms around the other woman.

 

“I mean, I knew you were serious,” Chloe said, “But I had no idea you thought that far ahead. That big. I kept talking myself out of dreaming about those things.”

 

“Well, don’t,” Beca said. “I want them. With you and Lucy. I’ve never really thought seriously about any other person I’ve dated before, but none of them come close to making me feel the way you do.” Chloe kissed her again.

 

“You’re amazing,” she said. Then she let Beca settle against her shoulder as they just enjoyed the silence for a moment. “I’d like to send her at least two days, maybe three. It’d be nice to see her make more friends.”

 

“Then let’s do it,” Beca said. “Lemme talk to Stace and see what she wants to do. It’d be good if they could go together.”

 

“Yeah.” They sat in silence for a while, until Beca spoke again.

 

“Do you think about going back and finishing med school?” she asked.

 

“I want to, eventually,” Chloe said “I only had a year left. But there was no way I was going to make that work with a baby.”

 

“Well if you want to think about it a bit more seriously,” Beca said, “just know that I’m prepared to help in whatever way I can.”

 

“Can we go to bed?” Chloe asked. Beca’s eyebrow raised up sharply.

 

“No, not like that,” she clarified. “I just want to-”

 

“I know,” Beca said. “And I’m down with that, I was starting to get tired anyway.” They got ready for bed and climbed in, Beca sliding her arm around Chloe’s waist as they curled themselves into the shape of each other’s body.

 

“You know,” Chloe whispered into the darkness, “I’ve worried about the future a lot. About what kind of life I can realistically provide for Luce. But you’ve changed all that. Not your money. But that you love her and want to see the best for her, and for me. It’s nice not to feel alone in it.” Beca didn’t respond, just kissed the crook of her neck gently as their breathing fell into sync and they drifted off.

 

The next morning, they were still in a haze of intimacy. Lucy happily chattered as Beca organized breakfast for them all, Chloe needing to get ready for work. But as they ate, Chloe’s hand stayed on Beca’s thigh, or occasionally moved to her knee, and she kissed her periodically.

 

“If we leave now, Miss Lucy, I can drop you off and not be late,” Chloe said after they’d emerged from brushing their teeth. It was one of the days where Lucy would go to Juliet’s instead of Juliet coming to their apartment.

 

“Want me to drop her off?” Beca asked. “You’re in a hurry. I have no plans.”

 

“You sure?” Chloe asked. “Do you have a car seat?”

 

“I’ve had it in the car for weeks,” Beca said. “One of Stacie’s. Makes sense. Just give me the address and I’ll drop her off.” Chloe scrawled the address on a notepad and tore the page off, kissing Beca soundly. Then she picked Lucy up, gave her a hug and a kiss and told her she’d pick her up from Juliet’s that afternoon.

 

“I love you both,” she said. Beca scooped Lucy up into her arms.

 

“We love you too,” Beca called and they waved her off. “Alright, Lucy. Your bag’s all packed, and we’re ready to go.”

 

“Going in Beca’s car?”

 

“Yeah sweetie,” she said. “I got a seat in there for you and I’ll drop you off at Juliet’s all safe and sound.”

 

“Okay,” she said. “Let’s go!” Beca made sure she locked the house up and they headed down to her car. She carefully buckled Lucy in and then put the directions into her GPS so she’d know where she was going. She put some music on as she drove, eyes periodically flicking up to the mirror to check on the toddler in the back seat. Lucy was occupying herself just fine. She pulled up and approached the front door of the building, Lucy’s hand tightly in hers and the toddler’s purple backpack slung over a shoulder.

 

“We press the number four,” Lucy said. “Juliet lets me press it.” Beca took her over to the elevator, letting Lucy press the correct number. Then she found herself at Juliet’s door. She knocked and was greeted by a heavily flustered Juliet.

 

“Oh, I’ve been trying to call Chloe for the past fifteen minutes,” she said. “I have a slight emergency and I’m not going to be able to watch Lucy.”

 

“What’s the emergency?” Beca asked.

 

“My Uncle Danny had a heart attack,” she said. “He’s in the hospital but he has no family here but me, and I was supposed to fly to Virginia tonight but now-”

 

“No, it’s cool,” Beca said. “Chloe only works til three today. And that’s not really a slight emergency. I’ll take her to my place.”

 

“Is that okay?” Juliet asked. She still seemed frantic, so Beca led her over to the couch. Her hands were shaking a little.

 

“Of course it’s okay,” Beca said. “Are you okay dude?”

 

“Just one of those days,” she said.

 

“I’m sure Chloe didn’t pick up because she’s driving,” Beca said. “You know what she’s like. I’ll take Lucy to mine, and call her when we get there. You go take care of your Uncle Danny. And if you need anything, you call me, okay?”

 

“What?” Juliet said.

 

“Well, Chloe says your family,” Beca said with a shrug. “If you need something, just give me a call. I’ll give you my number.”

 

“Okay,” the younger woman said. She took a deep breath to try and get herself together. “Thank you.”

 

“Are you going to be okay to drive?” Beca asked.

 

“I’m going to take a cab,” Juliet said. “Luce, I’m so sorry we can’t hang out today.”

 

“Juliet’s Uncle Danny is very sick in the hospital,” Beca said to the toddler. “So today instead of staying with Juliet, we can go to my place and read stories in your new chair, what do you say?”

 

“Okay,” she said. Lucy gave Juliet a quick hug, and Beca gave her number to the woman, reminding her again that she only had to call if she needed anything. Then they took the reverse trip to the one they’d just taken - down the hall, into the elevator so Lucy could press the ‘G’ and back into the car.

 

“Okay,” Beca said as they were pulling back into the traffic. “You gonna be okay just hanging out with me today and not Mommy and Juliet?”

 

“Yup,” Lucy said. She drove them back to her place and immediately got Lucy settled with some grapes and cut up oranges, sitting in her chair and watching Peppa Pig so she could call Chloe.

 

“Hey,” Chloe said. “I only just got to work and saw my phone. Juliet’s tried to call me like twelve times is everything okay?”

 

“Her Uncle Danny had a heart attack so she’s gone to the hospital,” Beca said. “She was trying to get through and let you know she couldn’t watch Lucy.”

 

“Okay, I’ll come home,” Chloe said.

 

“Nah, we’re at my place,” Beca said. “We’ll just hang out here til you finish work, we’ll be fine.”

 

“Are you sure? Aren’t you gonna be tired?”

 

“I’ll nap when Lucy naps,” Beca said. “She’s watching Peppa Pig.”

 

“Well… okay,” Chloe said. “But if you start to feel like you’re getting too tired to function, call me.”

 

“I will. And call Juliet. She’s panicky,” Beca said.

 

“She was flying home tonight too,” Chloe said. “I’ll call her.” They hung up and Beca went back to sit with Lucy. After they watched a few episodes of Peppa Pig, they perused the collection of Dr Seuss and selected a couple of stories to read. Beca sat in the chair first, Lucy clambering into her lap so she could see as they read.

 

Beca read the stories to Lucy and then they ate some animal crackers and drank juice on the patio. They went down into the yard and Beca watched Lucy as the little girl played on the climbing frame for a while, but soon enough she started to yawn a bit.

 

“You ready for a nap?” Beca asked. Lucy nodded, so Beca picked her up and carried her inside. They detoured past the bathroom and then Beca tucked her into her bed, singing a song with her before she left her to nap.

 

She went downstairs and grabbed her phone, made herself a cup of coffee. She texted Chloe to update her, letting her know they were fine and Lucy was napping. She was starting to feel a bit sleepy herself, but she didn’t want to fall asleep somewhere and have Lucy wake up alone. She thought about it a bit, and ended up tugging an old sleeping bag out to lie on, and carrying in a pillow and throw from the bedroom so she could sleep on Lucy’s floor. She also set a timer on her phone for an hour - she didn’t want to oversleep.

 

The trilling of the phone awoke them both. Lucy shifted about and sat up in her bed right as Beca reached for the alarm and hit the off button.

 

“Beca sleeping on the floor?” Lucy asked.

 

“Yeah kiddo, thought I’d have a sleepover,” Beca said. Lucy liked the sound of that.

 

“Okay. Potty?” she added. Beca nodded and they went into the bathroom together before heading downstairs.

 

“You hungry?” Beca asked. Lucy nodded. She’d occasionally fed Stacie’s kids and was well aware that a lot of toddlers didn’t like trying many new foods. But Lucy ate things like turkey and Mexican and salad, so she figured she’d have something.

 

“We can have sandwiches,” Beca said. “If you like.”

 

“Got ham and cheese?” Lucy asked. Beca nodded.

 

“I do,” Beca said. “Come on, you can be my helper. I need you to count out four pieces of bread, do you think that you can do that?” Lucy toddled out into the kitchen and Beca sat her on the counter while they made sandwiches, then she brought the little girl back into the living room to watch some Mulan while she got them both juice and some grapes.

 

“I like Mulan,” Lucy said, eyes glued to the screen.

 

“Me too,” Beca said. “She’s my favorite.” After they finished lunch Lucy requested more playtime, so Beca happily watched her in the yard, pushed her on the swing for a bit until the rain began to fall. They ran inside to escape the rain and get warm.

 

“It’s cold,” Lucy said. “Can we read more?” Beca liked the sound of that, and they resumed their spot on the pink chair, reading their way through more of the book collection Beca had gifted her for her birthday. That was where Chloe found them when she finished work and made her way to Beca’s house.

 

“Hello, my two favorite people,” she said.

 

“Mommy!” Lucy called, running toward the doorway to the kitchen.

 

“Hey little girl,” Chloe said, scooping her up. “Hanging out with Beca today?”

 

“Yup,” Lucy said. “We read stories and played and had a nap.”

 

“Sounds like you had a fun time,” Chloe said. She put Lucy down and kissed Beca.

 

“How was work?” Beca asked.

 

“Fine,” Chloe said, though she didn’t sound enthused. “I talked to my boss about making my schedule permanent so I can sort out preschool. She’s going to be fine, she can give me contracted days tomorrow.”

 

“Well that’s good news,” Beca said.

 

“The only catch is she only wants to give me permanent days if she can reduce my hours,” Chloe said. “I’m going to be down six hours a week.”

 

“Are you going to be able to afford that?” Beca asked, concerned.

 

“I don’t actually know,” Chloe said. “I’m going to have to sit down and really look at my budget.”

 

“Don’t forget that I want to help you out if you need it,” Beca said. “Whatever we need to do for Lucy, okay?” Chloe just kissed her.

 

“You’re all kinds of incredible,” she said.

 

“Let me make you a cup of coffee, sit down, relax,” Beca said. She disappeared into the kitchen and Chloe grabbed Lucy so they could trade stories about their day. Beca brought in the coffee and had gotten Lucy some more juice as well.

 

“Did you talk to Juliet?” Beca asked as she settled down into the couch next to Chloe.

 

“Yeah,” Chloe said. “She doesn’t know if she can make it home for Christmas now. They would only give her a partial refund on the flight and the only other flight she can make is going to cost a fortune now.”

 

“No way,” Beca said. “If it’s literally cash, tell her to call me. I’m not joking and I don’t want to hear arguments on it.” Chloe just looked at her for a moment, and Beca half expected her to protest. But she simply leaned over and pressed a kiss to her lips.

 

“I will,” Chloe said. “She was pretty upset.”

 

“How is Uncle Danny?”

 

“He’s going to make it,” Chloe said. “Serious, but not critical. Her dad is coming in first flight he can.”

 

“Well, like I said, make sure she knows I want them to get home or whatever else they need for Christmas,” Beca said. “She’s part of your family after all.”

 

“Thank you, Beca,” Chloe said sincerely. She kissed her again softly. “I’m making chicken tonight. Are you staying the night?”

 

“Definitely,” Beca said. “Though I have a little shopping to do tomorrow.”

 

“Hey Lucy girl, let’s get ready to go now honey,” Chloe said. “Beca’s coming back to ours for dinner.”

 

“Okay!” Lucy said. They all cleaned up their empty cups and collated Lucy’s things, ready to go back to Chloe’s. Beca decided to go with them in their car, figuring she could just take a cab to where she intended on shopping the next day. She locked the front door behind them, smiling as Lucy happily chattered to Chloe about what they’d done that day.

 

“Sounds like she had fun,” Chloe said after they’d gotten in the car.

 

“So did I,” Beca said. She kissed Chloe and then let her turn her attention back to the car.


	16. Chapter 16

Chloe spoke to Juliet that night and relayed again that Beca wanted to help her and her dad get home for Christmas. Juliet was hesitant in taking Beca’s assistance, but after Beca got on the phone and insisted she finally relented. Beca said she’d call back in the morning with some details and handed the phone back to Chloe. Chloe spoke with her for a few moments before hanging up and then kissing her girlfriend hard.

 

“You’re a good person, Beca,” she said.

 

“It sounds like family is really important to her,” Beca said. “Money shouldn’t stop her from seeing her family, especially at a time like this. I’ll text my guy and see what he can pull together.” She tugged her phone out and sent a quick text, then shoved it back into her pocket.

 

“Are you super soft behind all that plaid and denim?” Chloe teased, sliding her arms around her. Beca eagerly received the kiss that followed.

 

“Mmm, you got me,” Beca said. “I mean… I just think about how much I’d hate it if someone were to tell me now that I wouldn’t be able to see you and Lucy at Christmas. And she’s a nice kid. Lucy loves her a lot.” Chloe just kissed her again until Lucy interrupted.

 

“Moooom,” Lucy said. “You kissed Beca lots!”

 

“Yeah baby, I did,” Chloe said. Beca’s phone rang so she excused herself and Chloe scooped her daughter up. She was only three years old, but Chloe just knew that she could tell she and Beca weren’t just friends.

 

“So Luce,” Chloe said. “I kissed Beca.”

 

“Yeah,” Lucy said pointedly. “Lots.”

 

“You know how you and me are a family and I always tell you that I love you more than anyone else?” Chloe said.

 

“Yep,” Lucy said. “Love you too. And Beca.”

 

“Well, mommy also loves Beca,” Chloe said. “And Beca loves mommy and Lucy too.”

 

“Beca is in the family?” Lucy asked, a little bit confused.

 

“Mmm, what do you think?” Chloe said. “We both love her a lot and she loves us, so what do you say?”

 

“She can be in the family,” Lucy said.

 

“I’m glad you said that,” Chloe said. She kissed her daughter on the cheek and set her down as Beca came back into the room. “Lucy officially granted you permission to be in the family.”

 

“Oh, sweet,” Beca said jokingly, but she realised Chloe was serious. “You guys really just talked about that?”

 

“Well, she saw us kissing and I explained to her that I love you a lot, and that you love the both of us a lot,” Chloe said. “So that makes you part of the family.” The smile grew on Beca’s face and she kissed Chloe soundly.

 

“I really, really love that I’m part of your family,” she said. “You and Lucy mean the world to me, I hope you know that.”

 

“Well you mean the world to us,” Chloe replied softly. “I love you, Beca.” They shared another kiss until Beca remembered that she actually had to tell Chloe something.

 

“So my flight guy reckons that it’s going to cost a small fortune to get Juliet and her dad back home on a regular flight,” Beca said.

 

“Oh,” Chloe said, deflating a little. “She’ll understand.”

 

“Lucky for Juliet, she has a friend with access to people with charter jets,” Beca said.

 

“You have your own jet!?” Chloe said.

 

“No, sweet Jesus,” Beca said. “I got a buddy who flies charter jets, a lot of the time it’s travelling CEOs, blah blah blah. Anyway. If they want to get home, I can get them on a charter for a lot less than a commercial flight was gonna cost. It’s going into Reagan though, I don’t know how far away that is from wherever they’re going.”

 

“Annandale,” Chloe said. “They’ll be so happy, Beca. Thank you.”

 

“Like I said, she’s important to you guys,” Beca said. “We’ll call her in the morning.” They headed into the living room to play with Lucy before her bedtime.

 

Once they’d slid into bed that night, Beca was already sluggish again. She dropped face first into her pillow and sighed heavily. Chloe struggled up and then straddled the backs of Beca’s thighs, rubbing her partners back for a while. It wasn’t intended to be sexual, just something comforting for her girlfriend while her body was being a bit of a jerk.

 

“Chlo, that feels amazing,” Beca said. “I’m still a bit achy, you know? Not like in pain but by the end of the day I’m just damn tired.”

 

“I know,” Chloe said. “I’ll rub your back whenever you want.” Beca blindly flailed with an arm behind her til she landed on Chloe’s wrist and then tugged her down so she could kiss her.

 

“You are the best,” Beca said. Chloe’s lips slanted over hers again and she kissed her leisurely and somewhat sleepily until the redhead curled around her body.

 

“I’m looking forward to when you start to have a bit more energy,” Chloe said. “I love you.”

 

“Love you, too,” Beca mumbled and Chloe held on to her as they fell asleep.

 

The next morning Beca had breakfast with Chloe and Lucy. But not long after, she declared that she had shopping to do, and with a kiss on the cheek for Lucy and a much more involved kiss on Chloe’s mouth, she headed out, leaving Chloe with the task of letting Juliet know about the flight for her and her dad.

 

Ever since she had settled on jewelry, she had an idea about what she wanted to get for Chloe. As she headed towards the stores closer toward the center of the city in the cab, she texted Aubrey. The blonde had been more than helpful when it came to assisting Beca, even going so far as to sneakily measure the only existing ring Chloe had on her own fingers so she could guess an accurate size.

 

One thing that had really stuck with Beca was what Aubrey had said about Chloe never really been given gifts by partners. She felt bad for the redhead, and she wanted her not to miss out on that feeling. She knew Chloe would probably protest, but she wanted to spoil her and treat her the way she deserved. Beca wanted to give her everything she ever wanted.

 

She stopped off for a cup of coffee and then walked a bit further until she reached the first store on her list. She had picked it first because she’d bought a few things from them over the years and they were good people. Pushing the door open, the handful of people inside looked up as she entered. One just wasn’t fast enough when it came to masking her surprise at seeing Beca, clearly a new employee. Beca searched the faces quickly to see if she recognized one moreso than the others and smiled when she landed on one.

 

“Ms Mitchell,” the woman said. “Nice to see you again.”

 

“You too, Laura,” Beca said. The woman was maybe five or six years older than herself and Beca had bought things on her advice before, always well received by the intended recipient.

 

“Shopping for something in particular?” Laura asked, the other sales clerks backing off once they realised this customer was taken care of.

 

“Yeah,” Beca said, pushing her sunglasses up. She approached the counter and lowered her voice. “I’m hoping you can help me pick out some jewelry for my girlfriend for Christmas.”

 

“I did see on some news channel there was a girlfriend now,” Laura said. It didn’t have a gossipy tone. Laura had helped her with gifts for at least two previous girlfriends. “What’s her name?”

 

“Her name is Chloe,” Beca said. “More serious than the other girls you’ve heard me talk about. She has a three year old.”

 

“So jewelry?”

 

“I thought it was stupid at first,” Beca said. “But I was talking to her best friend on the phone and she kind of pointed out that she’s never had a partner buy her jewelry and she doesn’t buy it for herself because she can’t justify the expense with her daughter in the picture.”

 

“So what do you have in mind?”

 

“I’m thinking either a ring or necklace,” Beca said. “I’m not particularly fussed on which, but I do have a condition.”

 

“What’s that?” She dug her phone out and brought up a picture of Chloe. She smiled involuntarily just seeing it and showed it to Laura.

 

“I want to try and match those eyes as best I can,” Beca said.

 

“She does have gorgeous eyes,” Laura said. “I think a necklace would draw attention to them better and we do have a couple of beautiful pendants in that are almost dead on this color.” She began bringing things to Beca, who was perched on a seat at the counter still nursing her coffee.

 

It took them quite a while to narrow them down, but eventually Beca decided on what she wanted. It was a white gold pendant in the shape of an arrow with three sapphires along the tail that matched Chloe’s eyes. She added the matching chain and then was ready for round two.

 

“What do you have in watches? Something gorgeous, but not impractical for the mother of a toddler,” Beca said.

 

“Going all out?” Laura said. “The last one you weren’t really convinced about.”

 

“Amelia?” Beca said. “She didn’t even last long enough to get the bracelet I bought her. But Chlo is different.”

 

“Every time you’ve said her name, you immediately start grinning like an idiot,” Laura said. “I don’t even think you’re realizing you’ve done it.”

 

“Sounds about right,” Beca admitted. Laura brought some watches out and pretty soon Beca had picked out a watch as well. She paid for them and asked if she could leave them there while she took care of a little more shopping to save her carrying expensive stuff around. Of course, Laura was more than happy to oblige and Beca promised to be back soon to pick them up.

 

She was stuck for ideas on Lucy now. The kid had cleaned up at her birthday party and wasn’t really wanting for anything. She knew what Lucy liked, so she just figured she’d start browsing in department stores. But the department stores were filled with more and more stuff. Toys. Clothes. Stuff. She didn’t want to just buy Lucy stuff, she wanted to give her gifts that they could build memories around - her and Chloe and Lucy together. Then she had a great idea.

 

She pulled her phone out to see how far away the Children’s Museum was. Because Lucy loved to explore and learn things so she figured maybe if she got all of them a family annual pass to the Children’s Museum, it would be a cool present. She also picked up some more books for the book collection at her place, so that they weren’t always relying on Dr Seuss.

 

After she headed to the museum to organize the pass, Stacie called her, so she filled her in on the purchases she’d made. Stacie approved of all of her gifts even before she’d seen the pictures of the jewelry. Aubrey had talked a little about Chloe and how happy Beca made her, which in turn made Beca happy. She started yawning a little and figured it was time to pick up her jewelry store purchases and head home for a bit of a rest.

 

She hailed a cab and asked it to idle while she went in. Laura had her jewelry ready to go, Beca almost managing to hide a full scale yawn as she thanked her.

 

“Didn’t I read somewhere you’re off on medical leave?” Laura asked, tapping her pen on the edge of the counter.

 

“Yeah,” Beca said. “Til at least the New Year. Glandular fever, knocking me around a bit, but not contagious any more.”

 

“Hence the yawning.” Beca dug into her wallet and dug out a generous tip and slid it across the counter for her.

 

“For your continual help,” Beca said.

 

“Not necessary,” Laura said.

 

“But still,” Beca replied. “Merry Christmas Laura. Maybe in a while if I need a ring of some sort I’ll be back to see you.”

 

“You better come see me for that,” Laura said. “Thank you, Beca. Merry Christmas.” She headed back into the cab and directed it to her house. She managed not to fall asleep on the ride back, but texted Chloe before she fell back into bed.

 

_Love you. I’ll call you a bit later, just crashing out for a bit._

Her head was on the pillow for all of five seconds before her phone rang. She felt around for it and answered without looking. It ended up being Juliet, who had wanted to call and thank her (profusely and repeatedly) for her help in getting her and her father home for Christmas. Beca repeated that it was no problem and said she’d call her guy to confirm their seats, they just had to be at the airport on time. When Juliet hung up, Beca lay back down and closed her eyes.

 

Chloe called about an hour later, but Beca didn’t mind. She was trying to not make a habit of sleeping too long, so Chloe had probably called on purpose.

 

“Hey,” Beca mumbled.

 

“Hey,” Chloe said. “Didn’t want you to sleep too long.”

 

“Thanks,” Beca said. “I’m awake, I swear.”

 

“Successful shopping expedition?” Chloe asked.

 

“Very,” Beca said. “Got everything I needed. Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask, what do you do with Luce when Juliet goes home?”

 

“Well, Bree watches her when she can, and I take less shifts,” Chloe said. “It’s only like, two weeks.”

 

“Well, consider this my offer,” Beca said. “Whenever you need a sitter for her, I’ll do it, it’s not like I’m working. Plus I’m feeling better, and I can always nap when Lucy naps.”

 

“You want to babysit?”

 

“Babysit makes me feel like a fifteen year old,” Beca said. “I’ll watch your daughter. You’re my family, remember? Plus it’ll give Aubrey some more time to spend with Stacie and the twins so they can settle in. Maybe Lucy and I can have playdates.”

 

“Beca, you - ” she stopped and sighed. “I really love you, Beca. This time of year can be a bit of a struggle.”

 

“Not anymore,” Beca said. “Whenever you need, honestly. And I’m sure your bosses wouldn’t really like you calling out to watch Lucy when you just asked them to settle your days and hours.”

 

“True,” Chloe said. “Thank you Beca.”

 

“No prob. Do you guys have dinner plans?” she said. “I was thinking maybe we could go back to the Mexican place we went to on our first not a date.”

 

“Oh yeah,” Chloe said fondly. “That food was pretty good.”

 

“I’ll pick you guys up and everything,” Beca said.

 

“That’d be great,” Chloe said. “Lucy will be so excited. I gotta go though, Bree is here, we’re catching up before she goes to work. Text me with what time for dinner.”

 

“Will do, babe. I’m going to go take a nice hot bath, I think,” Beca said.

 

“Ooh, send me a photo,” Chloe said jokingly. “Love you.”

 

“Love you, too.” Beca got up and stripped off, running the water in her gigantic tub so it was hot. She went and grabbed her cell, deciding the joke about the photo was too good an opportunity to pass up. She took a selfie of herself in the bath and sent it to Chloe - double and then triple checking that it was to Chloe and not Cynthia Rose who was next in her recent messages - with the caption _wish you were here xx_ before she stowed it safely out of reach of the water.

 

Chloe got the text right as she had a mouthful of coffee. She ended up spitting it out and turning bright red as she hurriedly got up to get a sponge and wipe the counter down.

 

“What the hell was that?” Aubrey said.

 

“Uh… nothing,” Chloe said, avoiding Aubrey’s eyes.

 

“Bull,” Aubrey said. “Spit it out, Chlo. Not literally this time, if you can help it.”

 

“Beca sent me a text,” Chloe said simply. Then she lowered her voice, lest Lucy hear. “She was in the bath. Wasn’t expecting it, that’s all.”

 

“She sent you a nude picture?” Aubrey said.

 

“She told me she was going to take a bath and I jokingly told her to take a picture, but she did,” Chloe said. “It took me by surprise.”

 

“Relax, Chloe,” Aubrey said. “I’m not going to ask to see it or anything.”

 

“But back to what we were talking about before,” Chloe said. “You and Stacie are making it work?”

 

“My schedule is a bitch but because she basically works whatever schedule she likes it actually works out for us,” Aubrey said. “And the twins are coming around. They weren’t even surprised when they saw me at breakfast this morning.”

 

“Staying the night?” Chloe asked.

 

“Sure,” Aubrey said. “Probably going to lay on the TMI for a second here, fair warning.”

 

“I’m warned.”

 

“You and Beca are really serious,” Aubrey said. “Full on I love you, future plans kind of serious. Stacie and I aren’t that serious. We’re having a lot of great sex at the moment, and it’s leading toward a serious place, but we aren’t on the level that you guys are on. Yet. I stay occasionally, she hasn’t stayed at mine, but that’s more because I don’t really have the means to accommodate the twins.”

 

“Great sex?” Chloe asked with a smirk.

 

“Really great,” Aubrey said.

 

“I can’t wait til Beca’s recovered enough for sex,” Chloe grumbled. “I mean, I know she’s sick and needs rest but I miss the sex. A lot.”

 

“I’m sure she does too,” Aubrey said pointedly. “I mean, if she’s sending you naked pictures, it’s a pretty safe bet.” Chloe half wanted to pick her phone up and stare at the picture some more. They continued talking until another text came through some time later.

 

“Another risqué picture?” Aubrey asked.

 

“Nah, just letting us know what time she’s picking us up for dinner tonight,” Chloe replied. Aubrey sighed and said it was about time she headed to the hospital. Chloe kissed her on the cheek as she let her out, and then turned her attention to Lucy.

 

“Hey princess, how do you feel about bath time and then getting ready to go out to a restaurant for dinner with Beca?” she asked.

 

“Yay! Where are we going?” Lucy asked, getting up.

 

“Back to the Mexican place with the good holy moly,” Chloe said. “We gotta pack the ponies up first.” Lucy helped her tidy up the My Little Pony figures and then they headed into the bathroom, Lucy chattering excitedly the entire time.

 

She ran the bath and deposited her daughter in it, helping her wash up. Then she let her play in the bubbles for a while, sinking down to sit on the closed toilet. She tugged her phone out of her pocket and flicked the picture of Beca back open for a second. She subconsciously bit down on her lip and her thumb traced the figure of her girlfriend softly. She sent a text back.

 

_This picture is driving me nuts._

It didn’t take long for a response.

 

_I aim to please._

Chloe quirked an eyebrow.

 

_If you were feeling better I’d definitely be pleasing you in return later. But please say you’ll stay the night?_

_Always, any time you like. And I can’t wait til I’m better too._

Chloe put the phone down and refocused on her daughter, happily splashing in the bubbles as they popped and dissolved around her.


	17. Chapter 17

Dinner was actually really nice. Chloe couldn’t believe they hadn’t been back to this place even once since they’re very first dinner together. They ordered everything they’d ordered the first time, including the holy moly for Lucy.

 

“I remember seeing her sitting on your lap,” Chloe said, “And thinking to myself that even though this wasn’t a date I was amazed at how quickly Lucy took to you and I hoped we might find a way to see each other again.”

 

“I wanted it to be a date maybe twenty minutes after we got here,” Beca said. “You didn’t care at all about how famous I was and you smelled amazing. Still do, by the way.”

 

“I’m glad you kissed me,” Chloe added.

 

“I wondered the whole way home if that was a smart move,” Beca said. Lucy was sitting between them, still eating her dinner. “I’m going to lock in now that it was.”

 

“We’re about to spend our first Christmas together,” Chloe said. “Will you stay the night Christmas Eve?”

 

“There’s no way I’m gonna miss Lucy waking up on Christmas morning,” Beca said.

 

“Have you got that meeting set up soon?” Chloe said. “For the foundation?”

 

“Yeah, Myrna emailed me and she’s couriering the files of the shortlist over,” Beca said. “Should get it tomorrow. I’ll read through them all beforehand, that way the actual meeting shouldn’t take too long, we’re set for Friday.”

 

“So tell me about the scholarships,” Chloe said.

 

“Not much to tell,” Beca said. “College is expensive. Arts scholarships are really tough to land. I prefer to give them out to people who aren’t financially well off. It’s not even widely advertised. We give five scholarships of a hundred thousand out every year.”

 

“Beca that’s a half a million dollars a year,” Chloe said, stunned.

 

“I know,” she said. “I make that in royalties before I even do any actual work in a year. I don’t miss it, and I know it makes all the difference in the world to the people who get that money.”

 

“Do you keep tabs on them?”

 

“I get updates on their progress,” Beca said. “And there are conditions. They can’t flunk out and if they defer some study they need to tell us why. We had one who started out and was then offered a residency to study in Morocco. We weren’t about to take that money away from him. He was conducting an orchestra somewhere in Europe last I heard.”

 

“Wow, that’s super cool,” Chloe said.

 

“I just want to make a difference to people who’d normally never have a chance,” Beca said. “People like me when I was a kid.” Chloe leaned over her daughter’s head and kissed her.

 

They finished up dinner and headed back to Chloe’s. Lucy was already practically asleep once they got home so Chloe picked her up and Beca opened the door so she could take her down to bed. It wasn’t super late though, so Beca put some coffee on. She felt Chloe’s arms slide around her waist and her lips graze against the side of her neck. Beca relaxed into her arms for a few moments until their coffee was done. Beca made them both cups and they moved into the living room.

 

Beca pulled Chloe into her arms after their cups were discarded, untying her hair and gently massaging her scalp. Chloe hummed and then sighed. Beca smiled. Chloe had been amazing at making her feel better the past couple weeks, often massaging her neck and shoulders or even just rubbing her back as they lay in bed. She moved some of the red hair out of the way and kissed a spot just under her ear.

 

“I love you,” she murmured, close to her skin.

 

“I love you, too,” Chloe said. She grabbed Beca’s hands in her own and entwined their fingers, pulling the other woman’s arms around her. She felt warm and safe and Beca nuzzled gently into her hair. They didn’t even say anything for a long time, just sat together, wrapped up in one another.

 

“Come on,” Beca said. “Let’s go to bed.”

 

“This feels nice though,” Chloe murmured.

 

“Well I promise you can curl up right back next to me in bed, too,” Beca said. She kept her word and Chloe curled up against her shoulder as they fell asleep.

 

The next day Beca had to leave relatively early because she didn’t want to miss the courier. Chloe had the day off, so Beca told her to feel free to come around that afternoon after she did whatever she had to do. Beca kissed them both before she headed home.

 

The courier dropped by pretty early, which was actually handy, because Beca really had to go and do some grocery shopping and start cleaning up a bit. She figured she must be improving then, because she actually felt up to cleaning which wasn’t something she could say even a week ago. She kind of felt bad that Chloe had done the bulk of her housework over the past few weeks and vowed to make it up to her starting with a fully home cooked dinner that evening.

 

First she texted Chloe and told her that she was planning on cooking for her and Lucy and that if she wanted she was more than welcome to stay the night. Then she quickly amassed a shopping list and headed to the supermarket. It took her quite a while, but she eventually made it home and unpacked everything.

 

She paused for a cup of coffee and then set about cleaning a little. The bathroom, kitchen and living area all got a good scrub and she decided to break for lunch and run a vacuum over the place afterward.

 

She showered after she was done cleaning, and then settled at the desk in her study to have a look at the files she’d received that morning. The short list was sixteen applicants - more than they’d had any other year. That meant competition would likely be tight. There was a flash drive included with performances from each of the applicants as well, but that could wait.

 

She couldn’t really explain the rhyme or reason of why she preferred certain candidates over others. She just had a feeling. She read a couple of the files before she got a text from Chloe saying they’d be over soon. She hadn’t realised how much time had passed. She had to start getting some things cooked.

 

She got some music playing and tied her hair up, and started cooking. Chloe let herself and Lucy in shortly after, toting bags that were clear indicators that they were staying the night. The toddler ran in excitedly and hugged her around the knees.

 

“Something smells amazing,” Chloe said, kissing her.

 

“Well, I owe you,” Beca said. “I mean, we aren’t keeping score. But you’ve taken really great care of me over the past couple of weeks and I’m finally starting to feel kinda good so I wanted to do something nice for you. So - there’s a nice bottle of red waiting and I’ll be cooking you a little something gourmet tonight.”

 

“What’s gourmet?” Lucy asked.

 

“Just means a little bit fancy,” Chloe said.

 

“Beca can we read stories?” Lucy asked.

 

“Well, let’s make a deal,” Beca said. “I’ve gotta get this dinner in the oven first, so you go pick out a story and then play with your pony for a bit and as soon as I’m done we can read a story.”

 

“Okay!” she said. Chloe settled her in the living area and came back into the kitchen, the toddler still clearly in their eyeline.

 

“You don’t have to do all of this for me,” Chloe said. “I didn’t mind taking care of you.”

 

“I know, but I want to,” Beca said. “I just realised I was feeling pretty good.” She turned her attention to Chloe and kissed her deeply for a few moments.

 

“Oh, you must be feeling better,” Chloe said.

 

“Let’s just say I’m glad you guys are staying the night,” Beca said. Chloe raised an eyebrow and Beca winked at her. She didn’t pull the wink out often but every time it made Chloe feel like a giddy little schoolgirl.

 

“Serious?” Chloe said.

 

“Yeah,” Beca said. She was definitely more than ready. They’d been patient long enough and if Lucy had been in bed right this second Beca wouldn’t be wasting any time.

 

“Are you working tomorrow?” Beca asked.

 

“Yeah, in the afternoon,” Chloe said. “I was going to ask Aubrey to watch Luce but if your offer still stands…”

 

“Of course it does,” Beca said. “I might even see if we can’t hook up with Stacie and the twins or something. Any time you need her watched, I’m okay with it. Just not Friday, ten am.”

 

“Where is your meeting being held?”

 

“Well normally we have it in a conference room at the studio but I promised you I wouldn’t set foot in the place until after New Years,” Beca said. “The administrator has a place lined up.”

 

“Started looking at applications?” Chloe asked as she opened the wine.

 

“Yep, I’ve read through a couple,” Beca said. She took a glass of wine from Chloe as she kept stirring her pan on the stove.

 

“So what exactly are we having?” Chloe asked.

 

“Slow roasted lamb cutlets, stuffed bell peppers,” Beca said. “And I didn’t know if Lucy would eat the stuffed peppers so there’s a bit of potato and pumpkin in there just in case.” Chloe just watched as Beca attended to the food, then double checked the timer as she slid the peppers in to roast.

 

“Okay,” she said. “Just going to wash my hands and I’ll read stories with Lucy.”

 

The little girl was excited when Beca appeared and settled her tiny frame into the bright pink chair. Lucy clambered into her lap with a copy of Wacky Wednesday and Chloe sat on the couch. She didn’t feel left out at all, her heart was swelling at the sight of her daughter and Beca having this time together. She snuck her phone out and took a couple of pictures, Beca smiling softly as she read, Lucy’s much bigger grin plastered straight across her face.

 

She was so in love with this woman. It never failed to render her speechless. They had their hiccups to begin with but she could admit now that she was feeling that their relationship was a forever kind of deal. She didn’t expect a ring or anything any time soon, but she knew they were both there, both feeling the strong sense of family. She sent one of the snaps to her mother, who texted her back that they certainly looked happy and adorable.

 

The buzzing of the timer interrupted story time and Beca told Lucy to go wash up for dinner with her mom while she dished it all up. Lucy planted a big kiss on her cheek and got up obediently. Beca went into the kitchen and assembled their food onto plates, pouring herself and Chloe second glasses of wine and some juice for Lucy. She settled them all at the dining table just as Lucy and Chloe appeared from the bathroom.

 

Chloe was impressed with Beca’s cooking skills. The food was incredible. Lucy even ate all the stuffed peppers and helped carry her plate back to the kitchen afterward as they cleaned up. They gave Lucy a bath and then settled on the floor in the living room coloring with the toddler until bed time.

 

After they’d sung the mandatory bed time song and been bestowed with their kisses and hugs for the night, Chloe switched on Lucy’s nightlight and they left her to sleep.

 

It didn’t take long for them to move the evening in a more amorous direction. Beca said she needed a shower and Chloe was right there to volunteer to help her take her clothes off. They stripped each other off and headed for the ensuite in Beca’s room. They enjoyed a nice long shower, hot water cascading over their entwined bodies before they finally moved into the bedroom. They took a second to quickly dry off before they climbed into bed. Beca lowered Chloe down and took a second just to look at her gorgeous girlfriend.

 

“I’m glad you’re feeling better,” Chloe said. “I’ve missed this.” Beca leaned down and left a hot, messy kiss on her lips.

 

“Me too,” she said. “I kinda wanna take my time if that’s okay with you.” Chloe could only nod as she succumbed to her girlfriend’s mouth and hands.

 

After an extremely long and slow entanglement, Chloe lay panting and spent on the bed. Beca was grabbing them both some water, bringing in two bottles and climbing back into bed with them. Chloe kissed her deeply as she took hers.

 

“It was worth the wait,” she said.

 

“Yeah, it was,” Beca said. “I’m tired now, though.”

 

“Me too, and I’m not even recovering from glandular fever,” Chloe said. “I love you, Beca.”

 

“I love you too, Chloe, so much,” Beca said. She took a long drink and then untied her hair so it wouldn’t tangle while she slept.

 

“You’re really beautiful,” Chloe said. “I know you’ve got this bit of tough girl swagger and don’t get me wrong, that really works for me. But here and now, no makeup, hair out… I could look at you for hours and not get bored.” Beca kissed her softly, letting her lips linger gently and resting their foreheads together.

 

They recapped their water bottles and quickly tugged some pajamas on since the nights were quite cold now. Then they slid into bed, gravitating toward one another, Beca falling asleep with Chloe’s arm wrapped around her midsection and their legs tangled tightly.

 

Chloe stirred in the morning to the sound of Lucy next to her ear.

 

“Mommy,” she whispered dramatically. “Potty NOW.” Chloe took half a sec to rub her bleary eyes. It was still very early. But she got up and helped Lucy to the bathroom.

 

“Okay,” Chloe said. “Back to bed now.”

 

“No,” Lucy said. “Cuddles? With mommy and Beca?” Chloe paused for a second and then nodded. The toddler scampered in and climbed into the middle of the bed. Chloe slid back in as quietly as she could and the two of them fell back asleep alongside the still slumbering Beca.

 

The next time Chloe woke, Lucy was spread across the bed with her head on Beca’s arm and feet over Chloe’s stomach. But Beca was awake and she wasn’t moving, just laying there looking quite deep in thought.

 

“What’s on your mind?” Chloe said quietly. Beca looked surprised to see Chloe was now awake.

 

“Oh, uh… wondering how toddlers can sleep like this,” she said. “They just… arms and legs everywhere. It’s cute.”

 

“Cute but occasionally not a fun time,” Chloe said. “One of the acquired skills of motherhood is learning to sleep in about six inches of bed space.”

 

“I don’t mind it so much,” Beca said. “Better than waking up alone, in my opinion.” Chloe paused for a moment. Every now and then, Beca would say something that would really make her ache with sadness thinking about how lonely she must have been. Sure, she had Stacie and the twins. But she had said this and before she’d also said the thing about not having a family photo taken in years. Lucy began to stir between them and soon she sat upright.

 

“Morning, baby girl,” Chloe said, reaching a hand out to her red curls.

 

“Morning Mama,” she said. “And Beca.”

 

“Morning Luce,” she said with a grin. “You hungry?” The little girl nodded.

 

“Yup.”

 

“Well I can make oatmeal or I can make waffles,” Beca said.

 

“WAFFLES!” Lucy cried. Chloe began laughing at her daughter’s extreme excitement.

 

“Okay, waffles are obviously the correct option,” Beca said. “Why don’t we all wash up and get our slippers on before we go downstairs?”

 

They all made their way downstairs where Beca set about starting breakfast in the kitchen. Chloe turned on some cartoons and started making some coffee. She interrupted Beca’s cooking to kiss her a couple of times, but the brunette wasn’t complaining.

 

They ate breakfast together and Chloe announced to Lucy that they’d have to go home and then come back before she left to work. Lucy pouted, saying she wasn’t ready to go yet.

 

“I know baby but mom has to get her stuff ready for work,” Chloe said.

 

“It’s fine,” Beca said. “I don’t have any plans, and I was watching her this afternoon anyway. Go do whatever you need to do, we’ll clean up, get dressed and hang out.” Chloe kissed her on the cheek and then told Lucy to be good for Beca.

 

“Yes mama,” she said. “I will.” Beca and Lucy finished off their waffles and tidied up the kitchen before Beca took her upstairs to get changed. She then quickly changed into some other clothes herself, Lucy waiting in her room.

 

“Hey Beca,” Lucy said quietly. “What’s up them stairs?” She was pointing at the stairs leading up to the loft where Beca had built her home studio.

 

“Wanna see?” Beca said. “It’s where I make music.” Lucy took her hand and they went upstairs. It wasn’t a huge set up but the booth was soundproof and there was enough room for an upright piano along one wall. Beca took her inside.

 

“This is where I work,” Beca said. “I write music here.”

 

“Is that a pinano?” Lucy asked, stumbling on the word a little.

 

“A piano, yes,” Beca said. “Want to try?” She sat on the stool and pulled Lucy up onto her lap. The little girl hit some keys and smiled as the notes rang out. Beca began playing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and Lucy sang along. They sat there for quite a while, not even hearing Chloe come home and start looking for them.

 

She checked outside first but came up empty. Then the redhead came up the stairs and heard noise coming from the upstairs area where she knew Beca had her home recording studio. She quietly climbed the stairs and stopped once she saw them.

 

Beca was now teaching Lucy about some of the notes on the piano. It was beyond adorable. It felt beautiful and… to her it felt maternal. Beca had always been great with Lucy, taking care of her, all of that. But this felt so… parental. She was passing on skills to her little girl. She just waited, watched until they realised she was there and then without speaking a word, strode across the room and kissed her hard. She had tears in her eyes. Beca didn’t question her, just tugged her into a hug, holding her as long as she needed to be held.


	18. Chapter 18

Beca hung out with Lucy pretty much all week. She did arrange a play date with Lincoln and Maya for one afternoon, she and Stacie taking the kids to a play center. But Friday came around and Aunt Bree picked Lucy up in the morning to go and hang out with Stacie and the kids while Beca went off to work. 

 

Chloe had sat up with her most nights as she'd read through the applicant files, asking a few questions about the process. It wasn't too difficult to pare the list down a little - and the foundation representatives never questioned her on why she discounted applicants. 

 

She met them at a rented conference room downtown, keeping her promise of not setting foot in the studio until the doctor had given her the all clear. She had a cup of coffee in hand and welcomed them all warmly.

 

"Thanks for agreeing to meet out of the studio," she said. "I'm under doctors orders to stay away from the studio until I've had a proper break."

 

"Everything okay?" one gentleman asked.

 

"Glandular fever," Beca said. "The worst is over. Still a bit fatigued, I'll be off until the new year. But to be truthful, the break has been nice. Anyway, we’re not here to talk about me, let’s just get started.”

 

They opened the discussion and began talking applicants. There were three others in attendance on top of Beca, and she valued their input greatly. They talked their way through the morning until Beca declared that she needed some coffee and possibly something to eat. She offered to order some coffee and pastries in, and the offer was accepted eagerly. While they waited, Beca took a moment to send a text to Chloe. She kind of missed her a bit when she was at work.

 

By the end of the day, they had nailed their five recipients down. Four had been relatively easy but the last slot could have been filled by any of the three remaining applicants easily. They ended up pretty heavily split until Beca weighed in and said it was her foundation so she’d make the difficult call herself. But the decision was made and letters would be sent out just after Christmas so Beca headed to her place. It was only two thirty so she was a lot earlier than she’d expected. She spoke to Chloe and they made dinner plans for that night.

 

After they’d hung up, she got to thinking about Lucy. She wanted to do something with Lucy and Chloe that they could use as a kind of Christmas tradition for the three of them. And it hit her all at once.

 

She didn’t have a lot of memories of being a little kid, but one thing she absolutely remembered doing with her mom was walking all the streets around their place, rugged up as warm as they could, just looking at the Christmas lights. They didn’t always have lots of money for fancy presents but they always did that together, and that was a memory Beca still looked back at and was happy about.

 

She wasn’t really familiar with where the good lights were around Seattle though, so she sent the SOS text out to both Stacie and Jesse, who was a complete Christmas nerd. Stacie did have a few suggestions but Jesse naturally went way beyond expected and sent her a personalized map including notes about special things at each of the houses. Beca sent him a text calling him a massive loser, following it up straight away with one thanking him sincerely.

 

She headed over to Chloe’s and found the redhead starting spaghetti while Lucy colored at the dining table. Beca made sure she stopped at the table to say hey to Lucy and check out the artwork in progress. She had already requested a personally colored picture to hang up in her study at home. Then she progressed over to her girlfriend and wrapped her arms around her from behind, pressing a kiss to the crook of her neck and relishing in the little noise it wrought.

 

“So I have a little surprise planned for you and Luce,” Beca said. “If it’s okay with you I thought we’d eat dinner a little early and then we could all jump into the car and drive around looking at Christmas lights.”

 

“Oh, she’ll love that,” Chloe said. “Of course that’s fine with me.” She leaned across and kissed her softly.

 

“Awesome,” Beca said. “I was kind of hoping we could make it into a kind of tradition? I know it’s the first year we’re spending Christmas together but I’m pretty set on spending the rest of them with you guys too.”

 

“I’m kinda planning on keeping you around too,” Chloe said, turning her attention away from the stove to kiss her properly for a moment. “As long as you think you can handle these two crazy redheads.”

 

“Oh I’m pretty sure you both know I’m already wrapped around your respective fingers,” Beca said and Chloe grinned.

 

“You do realise she’s probably going to demand we wear Santa hats though, right?” Chloe said.

 

“I’m fully prepared for that,” Beca said. They quickly finished up cooking and eating dinner and then Chloe went off into Lucy’s room to get her jacket and find some Santa hats to wear while Beca told her the plan. Naturally the toddler was over the moon excited about going to see all the lights, so much so that Chloe had a hard time getting her dressed.

 

But she managed, and they all got into the car and headed for the suburbs, where Beca had it on Jesse’s incredibly good authority that most of the decorated houses were. They each had their Santa hats on and Beca was playing Christmas carols quietly on the stereo.

 

The lights were beautiful. Lucy oohed and aahed at all of the houses and they pointed out their favorite parts. Lucy spotted a Santa with a line of children and begged Beca and Chloe to be let out to sit on Santa’s lap. They caved to her pleas and parked the car down the street, walking back so that they could see Santa. Lucy waited her turn and then excitedly clambered on to the man’s lap. She whispered into his ear, no doubt giving him a list of things she wanted for Christmas. When she was done, she high fived him and ran back to Chloe, who scooped her up and gave her a hug.

 

“Hang on,” Beca said. She’d spotted a wishing well with a sign on it. Apparently the owners of the house were taking donations for the children’s hospital. Beca felt like it was a decent cause and spoke briefly with the woman sitting next to the wishing well before opening her wallet and pulling some cash out. The woman thanked her sincerely and she returned to Lucy and Chloe.

 

“She seemed pretty happy with your donation,” Chloe said.

 

“Just gave her everything I had in there,” Beca said. “Might have been about two hundred and fifty bucks? I don’t know.”

 

“Wow,” Lucy said, though it was clear that she had no idea how much that actually was, which made both women laugh.

 

“What did you ask Santa for?” Beca asked.

 

“Um I asked for more books to read with you Beca, and something pretty for mommy,” she said. “Like a new dress or some pretty shoes.” Chloe hugged her little girl tighter as they reached the car. She was a little moved by that. She could have asked Santa for a million things, but she just wanted something nice for her and to be able to spend more time with Beca. She buckled her in and then slid into the passenger seat.

 

“You got a good little girl here,” Beca said softly, reaching over and squeezing Chloe’s hand. Chloe just nodded.

 

“I think we should go back home and make some hot chocolate with some marshmallows,” Beca said. “What do you reckon Luce?” The little girl cheered. They headed back to the apartment where Chloe and Beca made hot chocolate. The three of them sat on the couch together drinking their hot chocolate, after which Chloe declared it time for bed for Lucy. Chloe and Lucy detoured into the bathroom and Beca waited in the bedroom for story time.

 

After Lucy was settled in bed, Chloe and Beca curled up on the couch together. Some old Christmas movie was playing and although Beca wasn’t really a fan of movies in general, Chloe wanted to watch it. Beca didn’t mind as long as she could cuddle up next to the redhead and share the blanket.

 

“Can’t believe it’s almost Christmas,” Beca said. “Four days.”

 

“I know the year has gone by super fast,” Chloe said. “Bree is working most of Christmas which is a shame, she normally tries to see her family. But I know she’s trying to make some time to spend with Stace and the kids.”

 

“Yeah Stacie said she’s given Aubrey some keys so that she can at least stay at the house and see them for however small a time,” Beca said. “Do we need to pick anything up for Christmas dinner?”

 

“I was going to shop tomorrow,” Chloe said. “We can make a list in the morning. I can’t wait to see Lucy waking up Christmas Day. She’s just at that age where she’s starting to understand it all.”

 

“Yet all she asked Santa for was something pretty for her mom and more reading books with me,” Beca said. “Not gonna lie, that one hit me right in the feelings.”

 

“I’m lucky to have a kid like her,” Chloe said.

 

“Well I think you actually get to take credit for that one,” Beca pointed out. “I mean, you did raise her. Luck had nothing to do with it. You did good.” She kissed Chloe tenderly and then let her go back to watching the movie. It was an old one, pretty cheesy, but she didn’t make fun of the way Chloe’s eyes misted over or the fact that she very subtly wiped a couple of tears away.

 

“You’re not even watching the movie,” Chloe said, kicking her with a soft foot.

 

“Nope,” Beca admitted readily. “Watching you. You’re incredibly beautiful, you know that, right? Like… whatever this actresses name is on the screen. I’m sure she was considered a babe in her day or whatever. But she’s got nothing on you.”

 

Chloe just tugged her over for a deep kiss. Beca left her fingers caress either side of her face and kept it going. Chloe urged her further across the couch and Beca settled against her body. The movie was no longer remotely important, Chloe was way more focused on her hands skimming up inside Beca’s shirt and up the smooth skin of her back. Beca’s had one arm steadying her but the other was already well inside Chloe’s shirt and grasping her breast.

 

“I love you Beca,” Chloe whispered, breaking the embrace for a second. Beca’s eyes sought hers out.

 

“I love you too,” she said. Then she wrinkled her nose. “Kinda lots, too. Like… this insanely big amount.” Chloe grinned at her dorky girlfriend.

 

“How big is insanely big though?” she asked. “More than…pizza?”

 

“More than pizza,” Beca confirmed.

 

“What about more than… coffee?” Chloe said.

 

“Woman you know nothing means more to me than coffee,” Beca said in a fake serious tone. Chloe gasped in mock offense.

 

“Why, Beca Mitchell,” she said. Beca kissed her softly as their laughter subsided.

 

“Chloe, I love you more than anything or anyone,” she said simply. “I’m so in love with you I can’t remember what it’s like not feeling this happy and content, and I know I’m never going to love anyone more than I love you.” Chloe kissed her passionately.

 

“Take me to bed,” was all she could manage to get out, Beca taking not even a second to oblige.

 

The following day after finishing up the shopping so they didn’t have to go back out before Christmas, Beca headed home. She had to wrap her gifts for Lucy and Chloe and the next day she’d be heading over to their place to stay until after Christmas.

 

She got all her things together and wrapped them in sparkly snowflake paper. She’d picked it purely because she thought Lucy would like it. Then she settled into the couch and turned the TV on. The house was quiet without Lucy and Chloe there. She realised just how accustomed she’d become to having them around, to the noises that came with not being alone in a house. As the screen came to life it began playing the kids channel Lucy watched and even that was enough to make Beca smile.

 

She wondered when she became that co-dependent. She had lived her entire life without needing company this bad. She’d only been home on her own for a couple of hours but she knew Chloe and Lucy were across town and she knew that being with them felt like home.

 

She rolled her eyes and grabbed some clothes, stuffed them into a bag and headed downstairs. She didn’t want to be alone and she didn’t have to be. She grabbed her presents, locked up the house, took her bags down to the car and headed back to Chloe’s.

 

She didn’t have a free hand to unlock the door so she knocked with her elbow. Chloe answered wearing an apron dusted lightly in flour and was surprised to see her there.

 

“Beca?” she said.

 

“I don’t like being alone,” Beca said, coming in and putting her bags down. “Hey Luce.”

 

“Hey Beca,” the toddler said, completely unfazed by Beca’s reappearance.

 

“Okay,” Chloe said. “I mean, you know you’re always welcome here.”

 

“I don’t like being alone any more,” Beca clarified. “I was sitting at home and I missed you guys and I realised that I’m so much more content with the two of you. And it seemed really dumb to sit in my big empty house all alone and missing you both when I could be here with you guys. So I thought I’d come and stay early.” Chloe was just looking at her with adoring eyes.

 

“I don’t like being without you either,” Chloe said. “I’ve tried really hard to be a strong and independent woman. I am a strong and independent woman. But when it comes to you… now that I’ve loved you, been loved by you… I don’t like the idea of you not being there. I love reaching out in the middle of the night and feeling you there. And watching you read stories with Luce.” Beca grinned and kissed her hard.

 

“You’ve turned me into a sap,” she said to Chloe. “I like it though.”

 

“Come and bake cookies with us,” Chloe said. “You can help Luce with the icing.”

 

It was the most blissful couple of days Beca could ever remember having. Chloe wasn’t working because the library was closed, so the three of them were together all the time. They didn’t even do anything special, just hung out, cooked, watched movies, and Beca and Chloe spent a painstaking afternoon helping Lucy write her letter to Santa.

 

On Christmas Eve, Beca and Chloe prepared as much of the next day’s food as they could. Beca commented that they probably had more than they needed but figured they could eat leftovers the day after Christmas since they were going to spend the afternoon with Stacie and the kids.

 

Lucy was too excited to sleep. It was adorable, in Beca’s opinion. They read her three stories and sang four songs before she was calmed down enough to try and sleep on her own. Chloe closed the bedroom door and then they headed into the living room to make sure she was actually asleep before they pulled her present from Santa out.

 

“How early do you think she’ll wake up?” Beca asked, fiddling with the Bluetooth speaker so that music came on softly.

 

“Probably like five,” Chloe said. “I don’t mind though. Her excitement is a little contagious.”

 

“Yeah it is,” Beca said. She pulled Chloe toward her and wrapped her arms around her. Chloe’s settled around her in response and they began to gently sway to the music, pressed tightly together.

 

“This is nice,” Chloe murmured into Beca’s hair. Beca hummed in response and they kept moving. They stayed that way through three songs and half of a fourth before Beca spoke.

 

“I think we’re safe,” she said. “I reckon she’s asleep.” It was after eleven o’clock. Chloe nodded and pulled the present for Lucy from Santa out from its hiding spot. Beca was munching on the cookies they’d left out for Santa and drinking the milk.

 

“Want some of this?” Beca asked. Chloe shook her head. Beca was now surveying the tree and smiling. It felt good to look at it and see gifts for the girls she loved there. And from them too - Lucy had gleefully pointed out the two gifts from her and her mom with Beca’s name attached.

 

“You okay?” Chloe asked her quietly.

 

“Just really enjoying having a family this Christmas,” Beca said.

 

“You said last year you didn’t even put a tree up,” Chloe said.

 

“I woke up in a hotel on Christmas Day all on my own, in Napa,” Beca said. “It could have been any other day of the year for all I knew. But this feeling is like, a million times better than that. I can’t wait to see what Lucy’s face looks like when she opens her gifts.”

 

“I can’t wait either,” Chloe said. “It’s a lot of hard work being a mom but it’s also a lot of fun.”

 

“So now that we’ve successfully pretended that Santa has come,” Beca said, “Please tell me we can go to bed.”

 

“We can,” Chloe said. “Though I don’t know how you’re planning on sleeping since you just polished off three sugar cookies.”

 

“Um, who said anything about sleeping?” Beca said with a raised eyebrow, leading Chloe to the bedroom.


	19. Chapter 19

“Mom,” came the exaggerated whisper. “Mommy!”

“Mmf?” Beca mumbled.

“Mo-om,” came Lucy’s impatient voice, now no longer a whisper.

“What is it sweetie?” Beca slurred, still fighting sleep. She was pretty sure it was still dark.

“Santa’s been!” The excitement was evident.

“Luce?” Chloe’s voice came. “That you?” The toddler ran around to her mother’s side of the bed.

“Mom Santa has been,” she said urgently. 

“Baby girl, it is still the middle of the night,” Chloe said in exasperation. She saw the glow of the clock telling her it was only four forty.

"But Santa mommy!" Lucy said, and Beca could just imagine that little pouting lip jutting out.

"Hey," Beca said. "What about if you go and get your present from Santa and bring it in here. We can open it and then we will open the rest of the presents in the morning after some more sleep."

"Okay!" Lucy said and she scampered off to get her present.

"She's probably going to want to sleep in here with us," Chloe warned. 

"That's fine," Beca said. "I figure this is the quickest way for us to get back to sleep. But mind you I'm gonna have to put pants on like right now."

"Good call," Chloe said, only just realising that they were still naked. They hurriedly tugged pajamas on and Lucy came back in, toting a present wrapped in Christmas tree paper.

"Wow," Beca said. "I wonder what it is!"

"Can you help me open it?" Lucy asked her mother. Chloe helped her peel back the paper to uncover a baby doll dressed in a little pink onesie with a handful of accessories.

"A BABY!" Lucy cried. "Wow!" She waited as patiently as she could while Chloe removed it from the packaging and immediately scooped it into her arms.

"What are you gonna call her, Luce?" Beca asked. 

"Ummm can baby’s name be Cat in the Hat?" she asked. Beca bit back a laugh. They'd read Cat In The Hat together and Lucy had loved it.

"Sure it can," Chloe said. "And we can call her Cat for short."

"Okay," Lucy said.

"Ready to get some more sleep now?" Chloe prompted. Lucy nodded. "You can climb up here and bring Cat in the Hat with you." Lucy boosted herself up into the bed and Chloe peeled the blankets back. She let Lucy snuggle in and then she shuffled back closer to Beca so they'd all fit comfortably. Beca slid her arm over Chloe's waist.

"I love you," she whispered.

"Love you too," Chloe replied.

"Love you too!" Lucy chimed in and Beca couldn't help but grin into Chloe's hair.

"Love you too Lucy," she said. She heard Chloe murmuring to her daughter but then they all settled down and soon enough they all fell back to sleep, even Lucy.

They woke at about seven and headed into the living room together, Lucy clutching Cat in the Hat and rubbing her eyes. Then she spotted the Christmas tree.

“It’s Christmas!” she said excitedly. Chloe detoured into the kitchen to put some coffee on. 

“Sure is,” Beca said. “Your mom’s just going to make some coffee and then we can open some presents, what do you say?”

“Yep!” Lucy said, already eyeing off the gifts under the tree.

“Do you want some juice?” Chloe asked.

“Yes please,” Lucy said. “Strawberries too.” Chloe poured the juice and grabbed the punnet of strawberries out, putting some in a bowl and bringing them to her daughter. Beca had come in to pour the coffee and then they returned to the tree area where Lucy was munching her fruit and still eagerly regarding the presents in front of her.

Chloe began tugging presents out, the two of them happy to watch Lucy tear paper off all of her gifts and listen to her squeal excitedly with every one. Then all that was left was the gifts Beca and Chloe had bought each other. The little girl was far more interested in her toys so the two women settled into the couch.

“So these are for you,” Beca said, handing her the two small boxes. Chloe opened the watch first, exclaiming that it was gorgeous and that she also was due for a new one because her band was starting to fall apart. Then she opened the necklace and she was struck dumb for a moment.

“Oh my god, Beca,” she said breathlessly. “It’s beautiful.” She lifted it carefully out of the tissue and Beca took it from her so she could fasten it around her neck.

“It brings out your eyes,” Beca said. “Just what I wanted.”

“I love it,” Chloe said. “Thank you.” Beca kissed her softly and then Chloe dug the last remaining gifts out.

“So this first bit of the gift is from Luce,” Chloe said. Beca unwrapped it and saw a wonderfully toddler-drawn and colored picture of the three of them holding hands. They had misshapen triangle bodies and uneven limbs. Beca loved it more than anything she’d ever seen. 

“This is awesome,” Beca said. She was grinning ear to ear.

“It’s the family,” Lucy said, alerting them to the fact that she’d been watching. Beca pulled the little girl toward her for a hug. 

“I love it, Lucy,” she said. “I’m gonna hang it up in my music room.” Then Chloe handed her another box. Beca opened it and found a Kindle e-reader. She smiled, because she had literally been thinking about buying one only weeks ago.

“I already put a bunch of books on there for you,” Chloe said. “Stuff I like, stuff that Stacie said you’d be into. I know it’s not anything fan-”

“It’s perfect. This is all perfect,” Beca said, seeing that she was starting to get flustered. “You’ve given me everything, Chlo. I’m here with you and your daughter on a holiday that I normally spend alone. Nothing is better than being with you guys. I’m so glad that we’re together today.”

“I love you,” Chloe said. She had tears in her eyes. Beca pulled her in and rested their foreheads together. 

“I love you too, Chlo,” she said. They stayed like that for a moment.

“I do have one more present for you,” Chloe said. “But it’s for much, much later after Lucy is in bed.” Beca arched an eyebrow.

“Oh really?” she asked. Chloe just nodded and then leaned in to kiss her. They sat and watched Lucy play for a while, Beca’s arm slung loosely around Chloe’s shoulder, the redhead’s feet pulled up onto the couch as she lightly played with the pendant around her neck.

“It really is gorgeous,” Chloe said.

“I thought it might be too cliché,” Beca said. “But I got some good advice that indicated you probably don’t buy much jewelry for yourself at all since you’ve got Luce running around.”

“Exactly,” Chloe said.

“Well, I have no problem buying you beautiful things, even if you tell me you don’t need them,” Beca said. Chloe tangled their fingers together and kissed Beca’s knuckles.

“Let’s make breakfast,” she said.

“No, I’ll make breakfast,” Beca said. “You hang out with Lucy. You did a lot more prep for lunch than I did.”

“You sure?” Chloe asked.

“Absolutely,” Beca said. She pressed a quick kiss to her girlfriend’s lips and then headed into the kitchen. Chloe smiled as she heard music come on, Beca singing along as it played. It was bizarre, but sometimes she completely forgot that Beca was an incredibly accomplished, famous musician. And every time she heard her sing - like now when she was cooking, or singing in the shower or anything - it always left her struck dumb for a moment. 

It wasn’t too long before Beca was dishing up breakfast for them - pancakes with syrup, bacon on the side and a platter of fresh fruit for them to share. Chloe got Lucy settled in her chair and they ate together, Lucy barely able to concentrate on her food with so many presents to play with waiting in the living room. 

“I need a shower,” Beca said. 

“You go, I’ll have one after then get started on lunch,” Chloe said. “I’ll get Luce dressed and call my folks.”

Beca headed into the bathroom and took a quick shower. When she got out she could hear Lucy talking animatedly to her grandparents. She dressed and headed into the living room, seeing that the two redheads were FaceTiming the older Beales. Chloe held a hand out to her to come over, so she settled into the couch next to her girlfriend.

“Merry Christmas Mr and Mrs Beale,” she said. 

“You too Beca,” Chloe’s mother replied. “How are you feeling dear?”

“Pretty good,” Beca said. “Still not going back to work until the New Year sometime, but I’m definitely on the mend now.”

“That’s good to hear,” she said. Beca smiled. It had been far too long that anyone spoke to her with that kind of motherly affection. They all talked for a minute or so more, but then they cut the call off so Chloe could have her shower. Beca settled into the couch to watch Lucy play, joining in with puzzles.

“Hey Stace, Merry Christmas,” she said.

“You too,” Stacie said.

“How are the kids?” Beca asked.

“They’re currently running around same way all kids do at Christmas,” Stacie said. “Lucy too?”

“Yeah she’s pretty excited, it’s adorable,” Beca said. She heard another voice in the background. “Aubrey’s there?”

“Yeah she stopped in on her way to work,” Stacie said. “Which is also why I called. I’m hoping you won’t mind if we make tomorrow an afternoon thing, so she can be there with us. She finishes work this time tomorrow.”

“She’s gotta work twenty four hours straight?” Beca asked incredulously.

“She’s working twelve, but then she’s on call for the next twelve,” Stacie said. “But she said there’s no point going home if you’re on call Christmas Day, they’d just page her back almost straight away.”

“Wow that’s shitty.”

“Yeah,” Stacie agreed. “So it’s cool?”

“Definitely,” Beca said. “I’m sure Chloe and Lucy would love to have Aubrey join us. Say about three at my place?”

“Deal,” Stacie said. “I gotta bail. Bree’s only got a few minutes before she has to leave.” Beca let her go and then went to find Chloe, who was dressing in the bedroom.

“Hey, so lunch tomorrow just turned into an afternoon deal so Aubrey can tag along,” Beca said. “Stacie asked if that was okay.”

“Of course it’s okay,” Chloe said. “I guess that means Bree and Stacie are making a proper go of things then.”

“Yeah,” Beca said. “It’s good. Stacie deserves the world, you know? And I’m assuming you feel the same way about Aubrey.”

“She’s the best,” Chloe said with a grin.

“Anything I can do to help with lunch?” Beca asked.

“We’re pretty set, it’s just going to be timing things to go in the oven,” Chloe said. She leaned and in kissed Beca.

“Excellent,” Beca said. “I know I said this before, but I’m really glad my Christmas is here with you and Lucy. First time in a long time I haven’t spent it alone.” Chloe kissed her again, long and deep.

“I’d really like it if you hung out with us at Christmas every year,” she said. “Let’s try make that happen.”

“I’m on board with that,” Beca said, and followed her out into the kitchen. Lucy was still playing with Cat in the Hat, feeding her and singing an off key lullaby to her as she did so.

Chloe just started warming the oven up, making herself and Beca more coffee before she slid the turkey in the oven. She had a handful of timers set on her phone and left it on the kitchen counter.

They spent the morning alternating between playing with Lucy and watching Lucy play on the floor while they just relaxed in each other’s arms. It was cold outside, they could hear the wind, but they didn’t pay it any mind at all.

They sat down to lunch with way more food than the three of them could ever eat. Beca felt hideously wasteful, but Chloe reminded her they’d done this intentionally so they didn’t have to spend the whole next day cooking. 

The afternoon went by pretty much the same as the morning, Chloe and Beca doing dishes together while Lucy watched Finding Nemo with Cat tucked in beside her under a blanket. Beca was surprised that she didn’t fall asleep.

“That’s a good thing though,” Chloe said teasingly into her ear. “Means she’ll be in bed early and you can have the rest of your present.” Beca arched an eyebrow. 

They didn’t end up eating too much for dinner, just snacking a little since they were still full from lunch. Then Chloe deposited Lucy into the bath while Beca tidied up before they tucked an already yawning toddler into bed, Cat in the Hat still by her side.

“Have a good Christmas Luce?” Chloe asked.

“Yup,” Lucy said. “Love you mommy. And Beca.”

“Love you too, little girl,” Chloe said.

“And I love you too,” Beca said. They each kissed her on the head and left her to sleep.

Beca had poured wine before tucking Lucy into bed and they drank it together curled up on the couch. Music was softly playing, so Beca pulled Chloe up and wrapped her arms around her, the two of them softly swaying to the music. It was beautiful and quiet and Chloe felt like it was heavily romantic, especially when Beca began to sing along softly. She let herself lean into the smaller woman and sighed happily, tightening her arms around her.

“I love you, Chloe,” Beca said, planting the softest of kisses near her temple.

“I love you, too,” she replied. She leaned in and let her lips find Beca’s. The slow, sensual kiss soon began to deepen in intensity, arms and hands shifting.

“If you want to give me about ten minutes I can have your gift ready,” Chloe said.

“Ten whole minutes?” Beca fake pouted. “I’ll be timing every last second.” She kissed Chloe and let her go. She took the empty glasses into the kitchen and turned the music off, and then just went and stood at the window, looking out into the cold night. The few people she saw wandering around were heavily rugged up. She waited an appropriate amount of time before she headed to the bedroom.

Chloe was waiting for her. Clad in nothing but lingerie, naturally, in a pale silvery color. She looked… phenomenal. Beca always thought Chloe was beautiful. Always told her as much, whenever she could. She leaned against the doorframe and just looked at her. Smooth skin, soft red curls, and a body to kill for. Her girlfriend was absolutely stunning.

“What’s wrong?” Chloe asked. 

“Nothing’s wrong,” Beca said. “Not even a little. Just admiring you. You’re beautiful, you know that?” She moved closer and let her hands finally touch some of the pale skin on display. She kept her fingertips light as she skimmed down her sides.

“I was worried that you might think it was a bit… you know. Tacky or something,” Chloe said.

“Babe, nothing about you is tacky,” Beca said. “I love every single inch of you.” She let her hands slide down to cover the skin of her ass, exposed by the incredibly skimpy thong bottom.

“Have I ever mentioned that I really, really enjoy the fact that you prefer thong underwear?” Beca said as she kissed her way across her collarbone and up her neck. “Seriously hot.”

Their mouths met and their tongues collided in a messy, heated kiss. Beca pushed her toward the bed but Chloe wasn’t having any of that until she’d divested Beca of her clothes. She soon had Beca naked and the brunette pushed her down, taking another moment to stare at her before she joined her on the bed.

They took their time. Lucy was well out of it, and it was pretty early. But despite the fact that they started early, they were still going into the early hours of the morning. Chloe could barely breathe by the time they were done. Beca was just as bad, panting on the bed next to her. As soon as she had enough strength she threw an arm over her and nuzzled into her neck.

“I love you, Chloe Beale,” she said quietly but sincerely.

She had never been particularly promiscuous. She’d had girlfriends before Chloe, a couple of them even kind of serious. So she wasn’t new to sex. She’d even had some pretty damn good sex in her time. But sex with Chloe… 

Maybe it was just because she loved her that much. That they loved each other that much. Because when they were together, the rest of the world was gone. When they were in bed and all Beca could see, or hear, or taste, was Chloe, nothing mattered. She loved this woman more than anything on the planet.

Chloe was curling into her now. Beca reached down and tugged the blanket up to cover their bare asses since the air was chilly. But they wrapped their arms around each other and were instantly warm.

“I very much enjoyed that Christmas present,” Beca said. 

“I’m glad,” Chloe said.

“And this Christmas in general, Chlo, it’s the best one I can remember in a really long time,” she said. Chloe planted a kiss on her jawline. “I love being part of your family. You and Lucy are everything to me. I want to be part of your family for all of these occasions from now on.”

“I want that, too,” Chloe said. “I want us to be forever, Beca. I’m like… not normally this girl. The one who falls deep and hard and fast and throws it all on the line way too early. But for you I broke just about every rule I had and I don’t even care. I’ve waited a lifetime for this, for you.”

“We’re a couple of lovestruck dorks,” Beca said. Chloe just curled up against her further.

“Yep,” she said. “We should probably try and get some sleep though. Just because we were up late doesn’t mean Luce is gonna let us sleep in.”

“True,” Beca said. “But we should at least put shirts on, Chlo, I don’t want either of us getting sick.” Chloe mumbled something about shirts being too far away, so Beca quickly gathered pajamas for both of them and they got dressed under the covers.

Chloe fell asleep pretty quickly, but Beca laid awake for a while longer. She had something running through her head. For the first time in a long time, it was work related. But not in a bad way. She let it hang there, teasing the idea out for a while until she simply couldn’t think straight because she was so tired, and let herself drift off to sleep.


	20. Chapter 20

They headed to Beca’s the next day, Lucy excitedly awaiting the arrival of her playmates. Stacie and Aubrey arrived at about two o’clock with Lincoln and Maya, the mountain of left over food from the previous day already spread out on the table.

They exchanged a few gifts amongst themselves and took some photos all together. Then they made sure the kids had at least eaten before they ran off to play and the adults settled in with a bottle of wine to graze away at the food on their own. Aubrey looked tired - she’d guessed correctly that work would be busy and had spent almost all of her twelve hour on call shift running around like a maniac.

“So you literally basically worked 24 hours straight?” Beca said.

“I think I got about an hour forty minutes of sleep at the hospital,” Aubrey said. “And about three hours after my shift. So yeah, tired is a word that might apply.” Stacie leaned in and kissed her on the cheek, passing her a cracker with a chunk of cheese smeared on it.

“When do you go back on?” Chloe asked.

“I have three days off,” Aubrey said. “But I do get New Years off, not even on call unless there’s a catastrophic event.”

“You have work clauses about catastrophic events?” Beca asked. 

“Sure,” Aubrey said. “It’s a public hospital. But I’ve maxed out my overtime for the month thanks to today, so unless there’s a mass casualty situation they’re really not going to want to justify paying me that much. If they’re going to pay people overtime it’s going to be like… attendings.”

“When are you going back to work, Becs?” Stacie asked.

“My first day back is the tenth,” she said. “It’s weird, I haven’t really missed it much. I mean, I’ve done a little fiddling around upstairs, but not as much as I expected considering how much I used to obsess over work.”

“Beca!” came a little voice from the living room. Footsteps followed and a panting and red cheeked Lucy appeared. “Beca can you please help?”

“What’s wrong sweetie?” Beca asked.

“Can me and Link and Maya watch the Grinch?” she asked. 

“Of course you can,” Beca said. “I’ll come turn it all on for you. You guys need some snacks?”

“I’ll get snacks,” Chloe volunteered. Beca followed the little girl into the living area and Chloe got up to get some snacks and juice for the kids.

“Luce seems to love Beca,” Aubrey observed. 

“She does,” Chloe said. “It’s really cute. Beca’s even teaching her how to the play the piano a little. Well, she sits her on her lap and they play together.”

“That’s pretty adorable,” Stacie said. 

“God I hope nobody is using the word adorable to describe me,” Beca said, coming back into the room. Stacie had a guilty look on her face. “Stace.”

“Sorry, but when I hear about you getting all maternal and showing Luce the piano, adorable qualifies,” she said. Beca just rolled her eyes and sat back down next to Chloe. They kept on nibbling at the food for the afternoon, with brief pauses for checking on the kids who were alternating between playing and watching movies. They didn’t go too hard with the alcohol, just two glasses each. It was about seven when Stacie and Aubrey decided to head off with the twins, since Aubrey was basically nodding off in the chair.

“Get some sleep, Bree,” Chloe said. “We’ll make plans for New Years later.” Aubrey nodded sleepily and followed Stacie out.

“She looks wiped,” Beca said. 

“I worry about that kind of work if and when I ever finish med school,” Chloe said. “I’d miss so much time with Lucy.”

“Do you still want to be a doctor though?” Beca asked as they began to tidy up. “Is that still your dream career?” Chloe thought about it for a minute before she answered.

“Yeah,” she said. “Not emergency medicine like Bree. Pediatrics.”

“Then we’ll talk about how we can make that happen,” Beca said. “Not right now, obviously, but if that’s the dream, I’m gonna get you there.” Chloe pulled her in and kissed her deeply.

“You’re pretty awesome, you know that, right?”

“You’re pretty awesome too,” Beca said with a smile. “Now, I’m pretty sure it’s time Lucy had a bath.” They took the toddler upstairs for bath time and then the yawning redhead requested an early night.

“You feeling okay princess?” Chloe asked, a little worried she was getting sick again.

“Chlo, she didn’t have a nap today,” Beca said. Chloe couldn’t believe she hadn’t realised that. 

“You must be really tired little girl,” she said. Lucy nodded.

“Can I still have a story please?” she asked. “One of my new ones Beca got me?”

“Why don’t you and I go back downstairs and grab one and we’ll read it in bed,” Chloe said. “Beca will come too.”

“Sure will,” Beca said. Lucy picked out a book and came back to her room, bounding into bed waiting until both Chloe and Beca were able to see the book properly before she’d let Chloe begin.

Once they’d finished, they both kissed her on the forehead and headed back downstairs. They tidied up the remainder of the kitchen, both in a good mood after having spent the day with their best friends eating great food and laughing and talking. 

“Stace and Bree look pretty happy together,” Beca commented. “Comfortable.”

“Yeah,” Chloe said. “And the kids seem okay with her.”

“Trust me, if they weren’t interested in having Aubrey around, it wouldn’t be a secret,” Beca said. “They met an ex of Stacie’s once and he didn’t make it to three weeks because the kids were not keen in the slightest.”

“That’s good news then,” she said. “Hey, don’t forget mom and dad are coming out in a couple days.” Beca did in fact remember. They’d talked about it not long after Lucy’s birthday. Chloe and Lucy normally went out to Florida for New Years, but they had offered to come to Seattle that year so that Beca didn’t have to travel while she was still unwell, and then she’d still get to see Lucy and Chloe. Beca had argued that she was perfectly well enough to fly, but Chloe’s parents were adamant that they stay in Seattle.

“Yep,” Beca said. “Remind your mom that I said they can stay here if they want.”

“She’ll turn you down,” Chloe said. “They prefer to stay at a hotel, they always do.”

“Do we even have firm New Years plans yet?” Beca asked. “Stacie said she might want to have a smaller type thing at hers. Your folks could come.”

“That’d be nice,” Chloe said.

“Just us and them, your folks, CR will come and her partner is in town, maybe one or two others,” Beca said. “But that brings me to another point.”

“What’s that?” Chloe asked.

“New Years brunch,” Beca said. “It’s kind of a tradition at the studio. I completely spaced about it since I haven’t been to work lately. And you still don’t really know many of the people I work with.”

“No, that’ll be great,” Chloe said. “Mom and dad can have a day out with Luce, and I’ll come with you.”

“Awesome,” Beca said. “I love you.” Chloe wrapped her arms around her.

“I love you, too. How fancy is this brunch?”

“Casual,” Beca said. “Not fancy at all, I swear. I wear jeans.”

“Do you want some coffee?” Chloe offered. Beca shook her head.

“Just water,” Beca said. They went into the living room and just relaxed on the couch for a while. But they, too, didn’t want to be up much longer and headed up to bed relatively quickly. They shared a couple of long, lazy kisses and Chloe curled up against Beca’s side as they fell asleep.

Chloe got a text from Aubrey the following afternoon seeing if she was free for coffee. Beca had gone home to clean up and do some washing and a few other things, so Chloe told her to drop around when she was ready. Aubrey arrived with Lucy’s favorite kind of donuts, so Chloe put the coffee on and the two of them settled on the couch while Lucy built a stable for her ponies out of blocks. 

“So is there something going on?” Chloe said.

“Just realised we haven’t seen as much of each other lately as I would like,” Aubrey said. 

“I get it though,” Chloe said. “You’ve got work. And Stacie and the kids. I have Lucy and Beca, who’s been sick. But you’re right. Feeling better after a decent sleep?”

“I slept til midday,” Aubrey confessed. “Stacie woke me up with coffee and eggs ready.”

“So it’s going well with you two then?” Chloe asked.

“She’s pretty fantastic. She understands how crazy work is and doesn’t care that I can’t just call or text back. She’s smart and funny and-” she checked to see if Lucy was actually listening in. “She’s ridiculously hot and the sex is incredible. I’m surprised she has the energy and the stamina after running around after the twins all day, but wow.”

“That’s good,” Chloe said. “I’m glad you’re happy Bree. I know it’s early and whatever but you two seem pretty good together. Beca and I were talking about it last night. She also said that if the twins weren’t interested in having you around, you’d know by now. Apparently they are not shy about it.”

“Oh,” Aubrey said. “That’s a relief. Because I get on with them okay, they’re cute and they’re also a handful, but they’ve not ever been like… they’re not trouble, you know? But at the same time, it’s the part of the relationship I’m least sure about.”

“It’s okay,” Chloe said. “As long as you’re honest with Stacie about it, I don’t think she’s going to mind. And they’re good kids.”

“They made me a Christmas card,” Aubrey said. “It was adorable.”

“Did you and Stacie do presents?” Chloe asked.

“Not exactly,” Aubrey said. “We talked about it but it felt a bit too soon. Instead we’ve promised to spend a night together without the kids soon, just have some us time. I was going to ask you and Beca to help us out with that.”

“Uh, for sure,” Chloe said. “We could have the kids any time. I’m sure Lucy would love the idea of a sleepover. Let me know whenever you pick a date.”

“Thanks,” Aubrey said. 

“So Beca and I were talking about me going back to med school as well,” Chloe said. “We haven’t had a proper discussion about it yet, but she said that it doesn’t matter what it takes to get me through it, if that’s what I want, she wants to make it happen. Money, watching Lucy, anything.”

“Wow,” Aubrey said. “That means you guys are like… Chlo. You guys are it, aren’t you? You’re done. You’re going to marry Beca?” The redhead nodded.

“She brought it up first,” Chloe said. “We were talking about how I was going to afford to send Luce to preschool and she said she thinks about big, forever things when she thinks about us. That she’s thought about me in that dress, and that she wants us to get married. Not right this second, but that’s what she wants.”

“And what about you?” Aubrey asked. 

“I want it too,” Chloe said simply. “I love her so much. Everything she described to me, I want it. I don’t care that we haven’t even been together a year, I want to marry this woman. She loves me, she loves Lucy. And we love her. I hate being without her now, even for a couple of days.” Aubrey leaned across and hugged her. 

“That’s kind of awesome, Chloe,” Aubrey said. “And yeah, it’s quick, but anyone who has seen you two together for longer than five seconds can see how serious you are. Stacie reckoned she knew the first time she saw you and Beca together just how serious she was.”

“Really?”

“Apparently the girl before you, I don’t remember her name,” Aubrey said. “The way she ended things was pretty rough on Beca and Beca vowed she was done with casual. So the next girl she wanted was one she could look at being serious with and it ended up being you.”

“I don’t know who this first girl is, but I don’t like her. But I’m also glad that I found Beca.”

“Stacie swears she’s never seen Beca has happy or fulfilled as she is right now,” Aubrey said. 

“She’s talked a lot about not enjoying how superficial things can be in her industry,” Chloe said. “I also… you know. Sometimes she says something and it just hits me how lonely she must have been. It kills me. And I’ve been lonely, too. I mean, I’ve got you and Luce and my folks. But it’s not the same.”

“No, it’s not,” Aubrey agreed. 

“She told me at Lucy’s birthday she hasn’t had a family photo taken in over ten years,” Chloe said. “I almost cried. And then just a few days ago. Luce was in bed with us, and she was sleeping everywhere, leaning all over the both of us. And Beca said it sure beat waking up alone.”

“That is pretty sad.”

“But I want Lucy and I to be that for her, be her family,” Chloe said.

“I’d argue you already are,” Aubrey said. “You still worry about the money thing sometimes?”

“I’d like to think I’m getting a lot better,” Chloe said. “But at the same time, now that I’ve explained it to Beca she knows where it’s coming from and she reassures me. I worry about what people who don’t know us will say, and that seems dumb, but given that I’m dating Beca Mitchell, people are going to have an opinion on me.”

“It’ll probably hurt to read things in papers by people who don’t know either of you,” Aubrey said. “But don’t forget - you and Beca have a whole host of people around you who know you and love you, and who know what you’re really like together.”

“I think I’m just going to not read that kind of stuff,” Chloe said. “Because it’ll only take one person to write something about my little girl and I’ll go off.”

“You, Beca, Stacie, me, just about everyone will be in on that,” Aubrey agreed.

“Beca told her workmates that if anyone leaks anything to the media about Lucy, she’s going to fire them,” Chloe said. “Or if some paper or tabloid go too far in trying to report anything on her she’s going to black ban them from her press.”

“Wow, she’s serious,” Aubrey said.

“She said that we were adults but Lucy was not and she doesn’t deserve to have her privacy invaded purely because of who we are,” Chloe said. “I have a thing with her workmates on New Years Day, some brunch.”

“You haven’t met many of her work colleagues yet, have you?”

“No, just a couple,” Chloe said. “She got sick and she hasn’t even been in to the office in over a month.”

“Aunt Bree?” Lucy’s voice interrupted.

“Yeah Luce?” Aubrey said, scooping the toddler up into her lap.

“You gonna stay for dinner?” she asked. Both women looked at the clock and realised that it was already approaching dinner time.

“You can if you want,” Chloe offered. “Something simple like quesadillas tonight.”

“Well, I think I will if that’s okay with you, Luce,” Aubrey said, squeezing her god daughter in a tight hug. The toddler laughed.

“Big squishy hug,” Lucy said, once she could breathe again. The two women moved toward the kitchen so Chloe could at least put dinner on, Aubrey giving her a hand. Chloe’s phone rang with a call from Beca as they were cooking, so Aubrey took over.

“Hey,” Chloe said. 

“Hey,” Beca replied. “Nothing important, I just miss you is all. What are you guys up to?”

“Bree came to catch up, now we’re cooking dinner,” Chloe said. “It’s been good.”

“Uh-oh, a whole afternoon of talking?” Beca said. “Should I be concerned?”

“We talked about everything,” Chloe said. “Me and you. Her and Stacie. Children. Med school. Future type plans. No concern necessary. Just having some best friend time.”

“I love you,” Beca said. “Just wanted to hear your voice tonight. I’ll see you tomorrow though.”

“I love you too, Beca,” Chloe said. She hung up and turned back to the dinner situation in progress.

“You should see the look on your face,” Aubrey said teasingly.

“You know, after Tom left, I was so sure I didn’t need anyone and I’d be able to do this whole thing with me and Lucy and I didn’t need a partner,” Chloe said. “But I do need Beca. I’ve been happy with my life, happy with just me and Lucy. But she makes it all… I don’t know what word I’m looking for. But I don’t want to be without her now that I’m with her.”

“You guys are going to be living together any minute now,” Aubrey said. But she threw her arms around her best friend.

“Sappy moment for a second,” Aubrey said. “I know you’ve been through quite a lot with Tom, having to drop out of school, and raising Luce on your own. You’ve always done it with class and dignity. Never asked for handouts or pity. But I’m so glad that you’ve found Beca. Because you deserve to feel that happy. You deserve someone who looks at you like you’re the world, who loves you and loves Lucy like that.”

“Wow we’re getting sentimental tonight,” Chloe said. She wiped at a couple of happy tears that had gathered at the corner of her eyes.

“Just make sure when there are rings involved, I get to be maid of honor,” Aubrey said. 

“Duh,” Chloe replied. She slid the last quesadilla into the pan and Aubrey offered to watch it while she got Lucy ready for dinner. 

They ate their dinner together, and Aubrey didn’t hang around much longer after that. She and Chloe hugged at the doorway before she headed home, leaving Chloe so full of happiness she thought she might explode.


	21. Chapter 21

“Where’s Chloe?” Beca asked Aubrey. It was approaching midnight on New Years Eve and the redhead had disappeared somewhere. They’d gathered at Stacie’s for the evening - Beca and Chloe with Chloe’s parents and Lucy, Stacie with the twins and Aubrey, Cynthia Rose and her partner Denise, and a handful of their friends.

First to call it a night had been Chloe’s parents. They’d cited old age as an excuse to head off around nine, promising to pick Lucy up at eight thirty the next morning from Beca’s place. The twins and Lucy had put in a solid effort but crashed at about ten, and were now tucked into the large guest bed together.

“Pretty sure she was just checking on the kids,” Aubrey said. Beca went to see if this was the case. She found Chloe standing in the doorway, watching the three toddlers fast asleep.

“Hey,” Beca said quietly. “I was wondering where you’d gotten to. It’s almost midnight.”

“Yeah,” Chloe said. She followed Beca back out to where the others were pouring champagne and waiting for the countdown just a few short minutes away.

“Are you okay?” Beca asked, worried.

“I am,” Chloe said. “Promise. I was just looking at Luce and thinking about what a year we’ve had. This time last year - I mean, after we got home from my folks place - I remember just sitting in bed with Luce asleep next to me and thinking that it was just me and her again. But instead this year, it’s me and her and you and I’m so happy Beca.”

“Me too,” Beca said. “This year started off pretty average, I won’t lie. But now, I can wait for the year ahead. I can’t wait to see how Lucy’s going to change as she grows up a little more and goes to pre school and I can’t wait to keep falling even more in love with you.” Chloe leaned forward and kissed her gently, then slid her arms around her and held her close.

They heard someone begin to count down to midnight, and kissed as the new year fell up on them. Their friends were doing the same, Stacie keeping Aubrey in a pretty fierce liplock on the opposite side of the room. But they were not concerned in the slightest with their friends, just each other. Chloe’s forehead was resting softly on Beca’s.

“I love you,” she said.

“I love you too,” Beca said with a smile. Then she kissed her again, this time just because. Then they headed over to their friends to wish them all well for the upcoming year as well.

Not long after, people began to head off home. Beca and Chloe stayed back with every intention of helping tidy up, but Stacie and Aubrey pointedly sent them home. Chloe went to fetch the sleeping Lucy and carried her out to Beca’s car.

“Thanks Stace,” Beca said, kissing her on the cheek. “I’ll call you tomorrow sometime.”

“Make it late,” Stacie said. “I think Aubrey and I are planning on being up for quite some time.” Beca just shook her head and grinned and left them to it. Probably more information than she wanted but she was honestly just glad Stacie was happy.

They took Lucy home and tucked her back into bed, the toddler only stirring briefly to confirm that it was already the new year. Then she was out like a light. Chloe took a moment to double check the stuff she’d packed for her day out with her grandparents the next day before she found Beca in the kitchen.

“Just needed some water,” Beca said. “And I kind of need a shower. Is it too late for that?”

“No, I know what you mean,” Chloe said. “Mind if I join you?”

“Oh, never,” Beca assured her. She drank the last of her bottle of water and they headed for the bathroom. It ended up being a very long shower, and they retired to bed satisfied and sleepy, curled up against one another.

There was no chance to sleep in though, because Chloe’s parents were due to pick Lucy up at eight thirty so the two of them could make the New Years brunch with Beca’s label mates. They were up before eight to get Lucy dressed and fed before the Beales arrived, the two women still in their pyjamas when they showed up for their granddaughter.

Beca offered them tea or coffee, which they declined, choosing to bundle Lucy up and take her out so the two of them could get ready. They each showered and dressed, Beca reassuring her girlfriend that the brunch was totally casual and she didn’t need to worry about dressing up at all. Then they got into Beca’s car to drive across town.

Apparently the studio liked to book out a particular hotel function room for these brunches. There was easily a hundred people present, and caterers and waitstaff were working quickly and competently to ensure people were being fed.

Chloe breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that everyone else was dressed as casually as she and Beca were. She had been nervous for some reason, and had debated her wardrobe choice for a long time before settling on jeans, a button down and boots. Beca could almost read her mind.

“Told ya,” she said. “The thing is, everyone was out til late getting their New Years on, so nobody can be fucked dressing up. It’s a thing. Now, are you ready to meet people?”

She was. She actually had been looking forward to meeting more of Beca’s colleagues. Since Beca had been off work for a while, she hadn’t really had the opportunity to meet them.

Beca started introducing her to people while they grabbed drinks and settled in for food. They were all friendly and interested in the woman taking up so much of Beca’s time. Naturally, many of them asked how long til Beca would be coming back to work.

“Still ten days,” Beca said. “I’m doing a lot better but I need the rest. Docs orders.”

There were a few comments about the work she had lined up for when she got back, but she tried not to dwell on that too much. She was still off the books and didn’t want to focus on work until she had to. It wasn’t until she was questioned about recording with a particular artist who was renowned for pulling long days in the booth that she revealed some new information to them.

“Well, we’re going to have to revisit that one,” Beca said. “It’s not a secret that I’ve wanted to tailor my work days into a more life-friendly structure. Now that I’ve got Chloe and Lucy, I don’t want to be in a booth all hours of the day and night.”

Chloe noticed that Jesse raised his eyebrows. She probably knew him better than anyone else Beca worked with - he was a good guy, enjoyed working with Beca and was a little protective. He corralled her while she was grabbing them cups of coffee a little while later.

“Can we talk?” he said. Chloe nodded and he pulled her aside.

“What’s up Jesse?”

“It’s just about Beca,” he said. “A lot of people are surprised that she wants to cut back on work for you and Lucy. It’s going to create chatter.”

“Oh,” Chloe said. “I didn’t ask her to do that.”

“Oh I know,” he said. “I’m probably Beca’s closest confidante at work, and I consider her a good friend. She’s honestly been looking for something meaningful that wasn’t related to her work for a long time. She felt like she was successful, but still wasting her life, almost. I just wanted to let you know, that when I hear people talk, I’m not going to let them blame you for it.”

“I really appreciate that,” Chloe said in relief.

“How could I when she’s so happy?” he said. “Watching her with you and your daughter last night... she’s happier than I’ve ever seen her. Even after she won her first Grammy, the smile she had on her face last night tickling Lucy, playing with her, beats it hands down.”

“I’m glad,” Chloe said. “I really love her, Jesse. I’m in this for real. It’s weird, I worry about her cutting her career down for this and all she cares about is me and Lucy and maybe one day seeing me go back to med school.”

“She’s a good person,” Jesse said. “And you’re good for her.” He patted her arm a little as Chloe bit back a teary moment. Then she grabbed them both coffee and headed back to where Beca was now talking to a couple of people Chloe had yet to meet.

“Thanks, Chlo,” she said, kissing her on the cheek. She introduced her to the man and woman who were interns in the public relations department.

It ended up being a pretty long brunch and Chloe texted her mother when they were in the car on their way back home. The reply said that they were about to take Lucy to see the new My Little Pony movie and they’d bring her back to Beca’s afterward.

“They’ll be at least two hours yet,” Chloe said. “They’re seeing a movie.”

“Oh,” Beca said. “I’m actually kinda glad because I kind of need a nap. Not enough sleep.”

“I’m with you on that,” Chloe replied. “Home, nap?”

“That sounds like a great plan,” Beca said. She drove them back home where they tugged their shoes and jeans off and then climbed back into bed for another ninety minutes, Chloe setting an alarm to wake them for Lucy’s return. Beca fell asleep first, and Chloe could feel the steady breathing of the other woman on her shoulder. It was such a comforting feeling. She let the feeling lure her into sleep.

She awoke a very short time later not to her alarm but to her phone ringing. She blearily answered it and was shocked awake by the conversation, her hand immediately shaking Beca awake as she hung up.

“Beca, wake up!” she said urgently. “We gotta go.”

“What? Why?” Beca mumbled.

“Mom and Dad and Lucy got in a fender bender on the way to go to the movie,” Chloe said. Beca sat bolt upright. “Dad’s hurt. Mom and Luce are fine but Lucy is terrified.”

“They’re okay though?”

“They’re at the hospital,” Chloe said. Beca was already tugging her jeans back on. Chloe did the same and they headed out wordlessly.

When they arrived at the hospital and asked to see the Beales, Chloe immediately sought out her daughter. Lucy looked scared sitting in the seat next to her grandmother.

“Mama,” she said in a pitiful voice and grabbed onto her. “I was scared.” Beca checked on the elder Beale.

“We’re fine,” she promised. “The medics checked us both over and we are completely fine. Doug’s neck is sore and he’s being x-rayed now, but they seemed pretty certain it’s just whiplash.” Chloe came over, carrying Lucy to check on her mother.

“Is there anything you want me to do?” Beca offered. “Call the insurance company or the car rental place?”

“We can deal with that later but thank you,” Susan said. Lucy was now crying in Chloe’s arms. Beca ruffled her hair and kissed the top of her head gently.

“Chlo, take her home,” Beca said. “Take the car and get her back to yours, familiar surrounding and all that. I’ll hang out here with your mom and wait for your dad.”

“Mom?” Chloe asked.

“Of course, sweetie,” Susan said. “Luce needs you and Beca, you don’t have to stay.”

“I know, but I will,” Beca said. “It’s no trouble, Susan.” Chloe nodded and kissed her mother on the cheek, then Beca on the lips as she dug the keys out and handed them over.

“I’ll keep you updated, just take care of Luce,” Beca said. She nodded and carried her daughter out. Beca settled in the chair next to Susan.

“Would you like some coffee or tea?” Beca asked.

“Some tea would be great actually,” Susan said. “They said they’d be bringing Doug back soon.”

“I won’t be long, if they take you somewhere else I’ll just ask around,” Beca said. She went to find some tea for Susan and came back to find that Doug had been returned and they were leaving him for observation for a few hours.

“Thank you,” Susan said. “He’s tired, resting. But nothing is broken, just the whiplash.”

“That’s good news,” Beca said. “What happened?”

“I honestly don’t know for certain,” Susan said. “The police said that the other driver veered off course in the intersection, I think? Doug wasn’t at fault according to everyone, I just remember us being in the car and then spinning out of control. I was just scared for my little Lucy girl.”

“Poor kid,” Beca said. “But she’s tough, she’ll be okay.”

“Doug isn’t going to be cleared to fly out tomorrow though,” Susan said.

“I can take care of that,” Beca said. “And if you have to check out of the hotel, you’re still more than welcome to stay with me. I have more than enough space.”

“Thank you,” Susan said. She sipped the tea until it was gone, but Beca could see that she was also getting tired.

“Why don’t you go and get some rest?” Beca said. “I’ll sit with Doug until he’s released and then I’ll call you when we can bring him back.”

“Everything is in the car still,” Susan said. “I’ll stay, I might just curl up in this chair for a bit.” Beca nodded and stepped outside to call Chloe and fill her in. Lucy was napping next to her so she spoke quietly but the toddler seemed okay, just shaken by the events that had taken place and a little upset that they missed the movie.

“Make sure you tell her we’ll go and see it as soon as we can,” Beca said. “I’ll let you know once we’ve left here.” A pair of police officers approached the room so Beca hung up.

“We’re looking for Susan and Doug Beale?” one said.

“They’re both resting in there,” Beca said.

“You are?”

“Beca Mitchell,” she said. “Doug and Susan are my girlfriends parents.”

“We have the personal belongings from the car,” the other said. “Susan’s purse, a child’s backpack.”

“Oh, thank you,” Beca said. “So what’s the story?”

“Other driver is at fault,” the first said. “He even admitted it. We’ll have a report for the insurance company ready for them if you give them our card. Any serious injuries?”

“Doug has whiplash, Susan and Lucy are fine,” Beca said

“Yeah, the kid’s definitely okay?” he asked.

“She’s shaken up but home with her mom now,” Beca said. “I’m just hanging out in case they need anything. I’ll get Susan to call as soon as she can.”

They retrieved Lucy’s purple backpack and Susan’s purse from their car and brought it to Beca, with a card with their details.

“How’s the car?” Beca asked.

“Driveable,” one confirmed. “Though you might want to arrange to have it towed, it’s not in the best spot.” He specified where it was and Beca knew the location.

“I’ll take care of it,” she said. They left and she immediately called Luke, told him where it was and asked him to have it towed back to his shop. He said he’d go out straight away.

Beca didn’t really feel like intruding on Susan and Doug while they were resting, so she waited outside, curling herself up in the chair. A nurse briefly stopped by to check on them both, then spoke with Beca.

“Once the doc checks him out again, I dare say he’d be ready to go,” she said. Beca nodded and went in search of another cup of coffee. She was about halfway done with it when a doctor approached the room and entered. Beca followed her in, Susan stirring as they did so. They gently woke Doug, who was still in good spirits, and the doctor checked him over.

“You’re right to go,” the doctor said. “I’ll prescribe you something to loosen the muscles up in your neck and for the pain. But no driving, and if the pain increases significantly you’ll need to come back.”

“Sure thing,” Doug said.

“The brace can come off to shower and sleep, but you’ll need to wear it at least for five days. Then we’d like to have you follow up.”

“We’re not from here, Doc,” he said. “Florida. But I’m assuming I shouldn’t fly?”

“Probably best if you hang around for a while if you can,” she said.

“I know you guys already said no, but you should just come and stay at my place,” Beca said. “It’s honestly no trouble, and Chloe and I would just worry otherwise.”

“Thank you, dear,” Susan said.

“I’ll be right back with discharge instructions,” the doctor said.

“You’re sure we won’t be intruding?” Susan asked.

“Not at all,” Beca said. “Heck I’m sure Chlo will bring Lucy over too, just so she can keep an eye on you herself.”

“Then we will,” Susan said. “Thank you.”

“I’m going to call a cab to meet us out front,” Beca said. “We can take Doug home so Lucy and Chloe can worry about him, and we can go and check you out.”

“You’re a sweetheart,” Susan said. Beca stepped outside to call the cab and then dialled Chloe.

“How are they?” Chloe asked.

“Your dad isn’t clear to fly so they’ll be in town a bit longer,” Beca said. “But I convinced them to come and stay with me. I figured you and Lucy might want to stay too. I know you’ll just worry otherwise.”

“Okay,” Chloe said. “What’s the plan?”

“I called a cab to take us back to my place so we can settle your dad in,” Beca said. “Your mom and I will go check them out and do whatever we need. Luke is towing the car back to his shop so it’s safe.”

“Okay,” Chloe said. “I’ll pack a few things and then wake Lucy and meet you guys there. I love you.”

“Love you too.” Beca accompanied Susan and Doug, who was wheeled out in a chair, to find the taxi was waiting for them. She waited for the Beales to settle in the back before giving the address to her place. She was pretty tired, definitely, but not too tired for this.

They beat Chloe and Lucy back to the house, so Beca set up the guest suite as quickly as she could while Susan settled Doug on the couch in the den. Chloe arrived as she was about to show Susan the setup, so they left Chloe to fuss over her father.

“So we’re up here,” Beca said. It was the opposite end of the landing to her room and Lucy’s room. “As you can see you have your own bathroom as well, plenty of room.”

“We’ll be fine,” Susan said. “Once I catch up with Chloe we can go over to the hotel and check out.”

“Before we go back down,” Beca said. “I just want to assure you that I’m a hundred percent fine with you staying here. And you don’t have to come down and spend every second with us if you want rest. You can treat this place like your own.”

“I appreciate that,” Susan said. She sighed. “It’s a draining kind of day, that’s for sure.”

They headed down to see Chloe and Lucy in the kitchen while Doug was still on the couch. They spent a few minutes catching up and figuring out the plan before Beca said it was time to go check them out. Chloe kissed her at the door and she opened the door for Susan to get in before she got in the drivers seat.

“You’re gonna marry my little girl, aren’t you?” Susan said quietly. Beca was startled for about two seconds til she grinned and started the car.

“One day, definitely,” she said. “We’ve got time. But yes, Susan, I am.” The older woman reached over and patted her arm, but didn’t say a word, just smiled at her. Beca couldn’t help but smile back.


	22. Chapter 22

It was actually a pretty nice week. Doug wasn’t hurt too badly and after a few days rest was doing a lot better. They were cleared to fly out a week later than they had originally planned. Chloe and Lucy also stayed the full week and for the first time Beca had a full house. She kind of enjoyed it, if she was being honest. Susan insisted on cooking for them all - despite Beca’s offers to share the load - so they were eating some seriously great meals together. Lucy was ecstatic having her grandparents around, and Beca was happy as long as Chloe and Lucy were happy.

The aftermath of the accident itself was fairly straightforward. Luke had dealt with the hire company on behalf of the Beales. The police had passed on their findings including the other driver’s admission that he had been at fault. There was brief talk about a civil suit for Doug’s medical costs, but they declined. They had great medical and were out of pocket very little. 

They’d finished waving the Beales off in the cab Beca had called, before heading back inside for lunch. Lucy was a little put out that they were leaving, but was super excited by the fact that she was soon starting preschool so they were able to distract her.

Stacie and Chloe had discussed putting them in on the same days, and had settled on two days per week. So on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, Lucy, Lincoln and Maya would head off to preschool together. Beca would be leaving work early on Wednesdays to make sure Lucy was picked up on time, because Chloe didn’t finish at the library until five. Chloe still could not believe how accommodating Beca was being to her and Lucy.

“Duh, I love you guys,” Beca said. “Being home alone sucks. If I had my way you guys would be here every single day.”

“Wait, seriously?” Chloe asked. She sat upright on the couch where she’d previously been half laying in Beca’s lap. Lucy was long asleep in her room. 

“Well yeah,” Beca said. “I mean, if you think it’s too fast I can wait, but waking up next to you is my favorite thing ever.” Chloe regarded her seriously for a moment.

“Beca,” she said. “I need for you to spell this one out in idiot’s terms for me in case I’m reading way too much into it.”

“Chloe, I love you and Lucy so much and I consider you guys my family,” Beca said. “The very second that you are ready, I want you guys to move in here.”

“It’s really fast,” Chloe said softly. “But damn if I don’t want to do it anyway.”

“Yeah?” Beca asked, a beautifully uncontainable smile making its way across her face. 

“Yeah,” Chloe said. “I want us to move in. And I want to wake up next to you every day.” Beca kissed her softly, Chloe leaning in and keeping their lips planted together a little longer.

“Well okay then,” Beca said.

“I mean, first I’ll have to see how Lucy reacts to it,” Chloe said. “But being with you every second I can sounds pretty perfect to me.” Beca kissed her again and the redhead fell back onto the couch. Beca settled on top of her.

“You know, your mom asked me if I’m planning on marrying you someday,” she said. Chloe reached up to begin playing with Beca’s hair.

“Did she now?” Chloe asked.

“She did,” Beca said. “Like a week ago when we were in the car together. I told her we still had time, but that one day, for sure I want to marry you. And wouldn’t you know, she seemed pretty okay with that.” Chloe pulled her back in and kissed her harder, hands bracketing her ribs and knee pushing its way up in between her legs. 

“Well, one day, I will totally be okay with that,” Chloe said into her mouth. Beca silenced her with another kiss, halting the conversation for the rest of the night. 

Chloe wanted to get Lucy used to the idea of staying at Beca’s house sooner rather than later so she brought it up the next morning while she was giving her a bath.

“Hey Luce,” Chloe said. “Do you like it here at Beca’s place?”

“Yup,” Lucy said. “We play in the yard and read stories and the couch is big.”

“The couch is big?” Chloe asked.

“It fits us not squishy,” Lucy said. Chloe thought for a second. Her daughter was right - the couch in their apartment fit all three of them in a squeeze, but Beca’s was big enough that they could all relax comfortably.

“Would you maybe like to bring more stuff to play with to Beca’s?” she asked.

“Huh?” Lucy said, confused.

“Well… me and you and Beca are a family right?” she asked Lucy nodded. “So maybe we should all live in the same house?”

“Um… okay,” Lucy said in the tone that Chloe knew all too well. She had no idea what Chloe was saying to her. 

“Wanna stay with Beca more?” she broke it down.

“Yeah!” Lucy said. “Lots of sleepovers.” Chloe leaned over and kissed her daughter on the head before finishing up with bath time. 

Beca was in her home office beginning to get herself sorted to go back to work. She was sure there would be a lot to catch up on, but she was still steadfastly promising that she’d be out by five - four on Wednesdays - because Chloe and Lucy were more important than her work.

She was checking emails, looking for one that Jesse had promised to send along so she wasn’t walking in blind to her workload. Lucy scrambled into the room, freshly dressed, and made a beeline for Beca. Chloe opened her mouth to tell her daughter to let Beca work, but Beca hooked the toddler up onto her lap without a second thought. Lucy sat happily while Beca scrolled through the content of her email. She printed it out and then shut it down, before standing up and shifting the little girl up in her arms.

“What are our plans for the day, Luce?” she asked.

“We go to museum now,” she said excitedly. They’d decided to make their first trip to the Children’s Museum that day and Lucy was keen to get going. 

“You’ve done everything you need to do?” Chloe asked. 

“Yeah the rest can wait til after we have our day out,” Beca said. She put Lucy down and they began to make their way downstairs. 

It only took her half an hour to decide that she had picked a good present for Lucy. The Children’s Museum was perfect. Everything was bright and colorful and interactive and Lucy had a ball. They broke for lunch halfway through and ended up spending a large chunk of their day roaming around before heading out to the parking lot to go home. 

“Great,” Beca sighed. 

“What’s wrong?” Chloe said.

“Cameras,” Beca said. Sure enough there was a handful of men waiting in the parking lot. “Someone must have tipped them off.” They were already approaching the three of them, cameras up. Chloe instinctively gripped her daughter’s hand tighter and clutched Beca’s with her other one.

“Don’t make eye contact,” Beca muttered. “Don’t talk to them. They’ll just follow us to the car.” Chloe nodded.

“Hey, Beca!” one called. She gave a dismissive wave.

“Now’s not a great time,” she said. “Kinda in the middle of something.” They continued to snap pictures but didn’t shout anything else out. They were almost at the car when Beca realised that one of them was crouching down and trying to get better angles of Lucy. She seethed but kept it professional.

“Please don’t take her picture,” Beca said. “She’s just a kid, this has nothing to do with her.” To her extreme displeasure the guy just shifted a little but took a couple more pictures. She wanted to punch his lights out.

“Hey man, I said don’t snap the kid,” Beca said. The man still paid her no attention and continued taking pictures. The other few people with cameras out were happy to oblige her simple request, but this dude just didn’t want to listen. Beca scanned the group congregating around, looking for a face she recognized. She caught the eye of an older man she’d seen a few times and beckoned him over.

“Hey,” Beca said. “What’s your name? I’ve seen you around.”

“John,” he said. 

“I’m pretty okay with the picture thing for the most part, wouldn’t you say?” Beca said.

“Yeah,” he said. “Which we appreciate given we’re kind of natural enemies or whatever.”

“What’s that dude’s name?” Beca asked, pointing at the man in the black jeans and olive green shirt.

“Him? Steve Macintosh,” John replied.

“Thanks,” Beca said. “Just want to make sure I put the right person on blast later. The kid thing really bothers me, you know?”

“I know,” he said. “Don’t really like it myself. Some people are assholes though.”

“And we’ll be pulling out in a sec so you guys might want to clear out a bit,” she said. He nodded and she went back to the car where Chloe had already buckled Lucy in. Beca got into the car, her mouth set in a firm line and her brow furrowed as she backed out. 

“Hey,” Chloe said, reaching a hand out to put it on her knee. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” Beca said. “Just that guy taking pictures of Lucy after I asked him not to. I’ve got it sorted out, it just makes me angry.”

“Me too,” Chloe said. “But I figured the sooner we got out of there the better.” 

“I need to call Jesse as soon as we get home,” Beca said. “I want it made clear that anyone who buys and publishes those photos gets nothing from me.” She glanced up into the rearview mirror and saw that Lucy wasn’t even perturbed in the slightest, she was just singing nonsense songs to herself and looking out the window. She smiled and turned her attention back to the road. She could feel Chloe looking at her.

“What?” she said.

“You love her,” Chloe said simply. Beca looked a bit confused.

“Yeah,” she said. “I mean, I thought you knew that.”

“I did,” Chloe said. “But you’ve even got your maternal streak on. Protecting her. Playing piano with her. Reading to her.”

“Well of course,” Beca said. “It’s like… I know I’m not her mom and I would never presume to label myself like that. But my plan is for us to be together forever so there’s more than likely going to come a day when she sees me as a parental figure. I love the kid. I love that you guys are okay with me crashing your little family. And I seriously can’t wait for you guys to move in and we can start turning my house into a home, you know?”

“What do you mean?” Chloe asked.

“Well your place feels like a home,” Beca said. “Mine feels like a house. It’s my house. Sure now that I’ve got stuff for you and Lucy it’s feeling less… bleak? Is that the word I want? I don’t know. But I want that comfortable, lived in feeling like at your place. I’m not expecting you guys to just move into the gaps of what I have. We can go shopping, get new couches. Redecorate. I only bought most of my furniture so the rooms weren’t empty.”

“Oh well, I can definitely help you with that if you really think we need to redecorate,” Chloe said. Beca didn’t want to dwell on the situation and make the car ride awkward so she didn’t even mention it again until she got home. The first thing she did was call Jesse at her office. 

“Hey Jesse,” she said.

“Beca,” he replied. “I hope this isn’t a work call, you’re not technically back on until Monday.”

“I know,” Beca said. “I just want a memo sent out real quick.”

“Shoot,” he said.

“This afternoon a paparazzi photographer named Steve Macintosh took a series of photos of Chloe’s daughter Lucy. Up close, intentional photographs, despite my repeated requests for him not to do so,” Beca said. 

“Uh oh,” Jesse said.

“I want it made abundantly clear that any site that publishes those photos will be denied press access to me and anything coming out of our studio for good,” Beca said. “No launch parties, no interviews or sound bites, I won’t stop on a carpet to talk to their web hosts or bloggers. I will go out of my way to make sure that any news I have actively hits every other possible channel but theirs. And I am one hundred percent not fucking around on this. Send it to every single person in our address book, Jesse. Do it now. And look into the kinds of places he sells to, make sure they get the memo.”

“I got you,” he said. “I’ll CC you when it’s done and I’ll get CR to put her fancy words all over it to scare the shit out of everyone. And I’ll copy the guys in media right now so they can handle enquiries.”

“Thanks,” Beca said. “I’ll see you Monday.” She headed downstairs and sank into the couch next to Chloe, filling her in on what she’d just been doing.

“How effective a measure is that?” she asked. 

“Surprisingly good,” Beca said. “Sure there’s going to be a percentage of people who want to see those shots. But at the end of the day they stand to lose a lot if I pull press. Those pictures will get them a little traffic for a little while. But my career is still in its early stages and me black balling them from everything to do with the studio is going to hurt them big time financially. And it’s unspoken that there are people out there who agree with me and who will do the same sorts of things in solidarity.”

“Do you think anyone will publish them?”

“If someone does it’ll be one of those ridiculous blog based pop culture websites,” Beca said. “I’ve had to pull this move once before and it worked just fine.”

“Really?” Chloe said.

“Yeah,” Beca said. “With Stace. She normally doesn’t give a shit about cameras. But she was like about ready to have the twins any second so she was super emotional and exhausted and she’d had a health scare that could have potentially been really serious. It ended up being nothing, but some idiot with a camera thought it’d be a great idea to snap me hugging her while she was bawling on a bus shelter bench with mascara running down her face, massive pregnant belly out for the world to see, mid meltdown.”

“Who would take that picture?” Chloe said, aghast. “How disgusting.”

“She’s just a kid,” Beca said. “I mean, I hate that they take my photo, and yours, but hers is just over the line for me. I accepted that this would be part of my life when I made music my career. You - to a much smaller extent - knew that it would be a factor in our relationship. She doesn’t even know that I’m famous.” They both looked at the little girl who was coloring a mermaid picture on the floor.

“I appreciate that you want to protect her,” Chloe said. She kissed her girlfriend softly. “Hey I brought up moving in here. She didn’t really get what I was trying to say but when I asked her if she wanted to spend lots more time here she said yes.”

“I’m glad she likes it here,” Beca said. They fell silent and watched Lucy color for a while longer, Chloe leaning down against Beca’s shoulder. Beca’s arm wrapped around her instinctively, same as it always did. 

After dinner and a bath, they tucked Lucy into bed with a story and a kiss and headed back downstairs. Beca grabbed a pair of cold beers from the fridge and they sat out on the back patio. It was still cool, but they were wearing thick sweaters and were curled up together. 

“So when you said you want me to make some changes to the house,” Chloe said. “What did you have in mind?”

“I’m gonna be open with it Chlo,” Beca said. “I know very little about interior decorating and I also don’t care about it a great deal. But I want this place to be comfortable, and reflection of both you and I. When I bought this furniture I literally found a clerk and said here, help me fill my house. Stace has helped a bit with personal touches but… I honestly don’t have a strong attachment to most of what’s here. I’m serious - I’m just gonna hand you my credit card and you can go nuts.”

“Beca,” Chloe said. “We’re talking a lot of money, potentially. And I know you don’t care about it, but it’s still something that we need to talk about. Because couples talk about money.”

“Okay,” Beca said. “Do we want to have the big, serious money talk? Because we’re planning on moving in together and we’ve both said that we see this relationship ending in marriage.”

“Okay,” Chloe said. “Let’s do it.” They got up and headed inside. Beca went to grab her laptop and Chloe sat on the couch. She wasn’t really nervous about this - Beca had a pretty solid idea about how much money she made. Beca came back down with her laptop and a few bits of paper and sat next to her. Chloe figured she was fairly straightforward in terms of her money situation so she should go first.

“So you know how much I make,” Chloe said. “In terms of debt, I have a credit card with a $2000 limit that I really try not to use, like a safety net. And I’m repaying student loans, but because I don’t earn a great deal the repayments aren’t huge. But the debt itself is. Which is an accepted part of choosing a career in medicine, unfortunately.”

“What kinda debt are we talking here?” Beca asked. 

“Well, I still owe somewhere in the neighborhood of a hundred grand,” Chloe said. “And I have a year to go.”

“Okay,” Beca said. She was signing into something on her laptop and when she was done, she handed Chloe the sheets of paper. 

“So obviously it’d be stupid if all my wealth was liquid cash,” Beca said. “I have a little stock, a little real estate, and obviously a controlling interest in the studio. But the last time I sat down with the accounting people was like, November? And this is what I had in terms of available cash right then.” She angled the laptop to Chloe. Chloe was stunned for a second. She knew Beca was extremely well off, ridiculously rich. But seeing the number was altogether different.

“Right,” Chloe said. 

“It’s a bit obscene, isn’t it?” Beca said. “You already know about the scholarships and during every year I tend to give away about another half million in charity donations. I don’t make big news about it, and I actually want to do more. But as you can see Chlo, I have the means to give you and Luce a comfortable life. And I want to. I don’t want you to have to do mental math before you can figure out whether Luce can get new shoes or if you need to make them last another month.”

“And your career is in the early stages?” Chloe said.

“Startled you a bit, didn’t it?” Beca said with a smile.

“A bit,” Chloe admitted. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry,” Beca said. “It took me a good few years to come to grips with the idea of this kind of money.”

“Right,” Chloe said. “So when you hand this credit card over and tell me to decorate the house, it’s literally not going to matter a lick what I do.”

“Nope,” Beca said. “I mean, the reason why I’m so happy giving you my cash is that I know you can be restrained. Don’t get me wrong, I like to invest in good quality. But you’re not the kind of girl who goes and buys a twenty thousand dollar couch just because she can. I trust you. You’ve never been after my money, not like some of my past girlfriends.”

“Lord no,” Chloe said. “And I know you say you don’t care, but I am going to ask your opinion on things. And I’m presuming your office and studio upstairs are your domain.”

“Well they could probably do with a paint,” Beca said. “But they’re okay I think. Maybe an updated desk.”

“Okay,” Chloe said.

“So… the big money talk,” Beca said. “I want my money to be our money. I want everything about me to be yours as well.”

“And I want all of me to be yours,” Chloe said. Beca kissed her softly and closed the laptop. 

“So do you wanna walk around the house with me? Stare at a few things, decide what you want? It’s early,” Beca said. Chloe grinned at her and they both got up, eager to make plans about how to turn Beca’s house into their home.


	23. Chapter 23

Monday morning, Beca returned to work to the delight of her colleagues. They’d organized a cake and she assured them all that she was doing a lot better now. And as much as she appreciated the cake, she did have a lot of work to do. Her first step was to sit down with Jesse and look at her appointments. She’d had a fair amount of work pending when she’d gotten sick, and she wanted to accommodate everyone as quickly as possible. It was made slightly more difficult by the fact that she wanted to curtail her office hours. But she and Jesse got everyone where they needed to be. Some of the days were going to be packed full, but it was done.

“Okay,” Beca said. “Nice. Make sure that the studio jobs all know that I no longer do overtime hours, though. They’re welcome to stay, but they lose me at five, four on a Wednesday.”

“Will do, boss,” he said. “So it seems like most people shut the lid on the Lucy pictures, by the way. Apparently it’s not worth the money in the long run.”

“Good,” Beca said.

“Though one outlet did pay for the pictures,” he said. “Haven’t done anything with them, but they own them.”

“Which outlet?” Beca asked.

“Pop Now,” Jesse said. Beca sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. Of course it was Pop Now. She fucking hated those guys with a passion. “I followed it up and made sure they were clear on what the ramifications would be if those pictures hit the Internet. They weren’t concerned.”

“That’s because they’re arrogant assholes,” Beca said. “Keep an eye on it.”

“You got it,” he said. “Uh… I’ve seen the pile of paperwork waiting for you. I recommend you eat lunch now or you’re not going to get there.”

“Noted,” she said. “I might call out for Indian, go for a wander and see what’s happening around here while I wait.” 

“Oh, I’ll call, I could go Indian right now,” he said. “What are you after?”

“Biryani,” Beca said. “Chicken. And momo with the sesame sauce.”

“I’ll give you a shout when it gets here,” he said. 

“Thanks,” she said. She did a lap of the building, checking in with the senior staffers that everything was okay, and saying hey to everyone as she did so. She was pleased to see recording lights on three quarters of their studios. Her recording suite was at the very far end of one hall, and she stuck her head in. They’d obviously kept it clean while she was off, but she always thought recording booths were weird when they were empty. 

Jesse called her a while later to say the food was in so she went and picked it up, paying for Jesse’s as well, then headed into her office. She hated to be the person who worked while she ate, but she was definitely that person today. She decided to leave the official paperwork until she’d finished eating, instead scrolling through her calendar of upcoming recording sessions and scratching notes she had for the projects. 

After the food was gone she switched to the official stuff. The easiest place to start was forms that needed her signatures. The admin manager had summarized each form for her, which was great, but she still read through them before signing. She looked at the stacks in front of her and sighed. This really was going to take all day. Her phone buzzed on the desk. Chloe.

[How’s work? I miss you.] She grinned and snapped a picture of her paperwork, sending it back to Chloe with a frowning emoji.

[Believe me, I’d much rather be home. I miss you too.] It wasn’t long before she got a reply.

[Ew look at that paperwork. If it makes you feel any better, Luce and I will be at yours. Making roast beef tonight. Love you. xx]

Beca sent back an ‘I love you, too’ and got back to her paperwork. Easier to make it through the day now that she had something worth going home to. 

It didn’t end up being too bad. She had a few people pop in, Jess stuck his head in a couple of times, nothing serious, and she was wrapping it all up by five o’clock with no problems. Jesse walked in as she was putting the last file in her out tray.

“All done?” he said. 

“Yep,” she said. “Is the studio ready for the morning?”

“Marnie spent the afternoon in there,” he said. 

“Oh good,” Beca said. Marnie was her favorite recording assistant. She knew exactly how Beca wanted stuff set up and run. It made her life a lot easier with someone like Marnie. “You’ve caught me up in a day, Jesse. Good work.”

“Well, now you know the place won’t burn down in your absence you should try taking a vacation sometime,” he said. “Not because you’re sick, just because. Take Chloe and Lucy somewhere nice.”

“I might do that,” Beca said. “Not til this is all dealt with though. I’m off, have a good night.”

“I will,” he said. “Rocky Horror sing a long night.” Beca rolled her eyes. He was a great assistant, but he was literally obsessed with musicals. 

“Have fun,” she said, picking up her bag and heading out. She drove home, stopping off for a moment to buy some flowers for Chloe. No real reason, she just spotted the florist’s display and it made her think of Chloe. When she got home, she could smell dinner cooking.

“I’m home!” she called. Immediately, she could hear the hurried footsteps of Lucy running through the house toward her. The toddler was wearing a backpack with ladybugs printed on it. 

“Beca!” she cried. “Look what I got! New bag for school.” She bent down and scooped Lucy up with her free arm and headed toward the living area.

“That’s right tomorrow is your first day at preschool,” Beca said. “Are you super excited to go and play with the kids?”

“Yep,” Lucy said. “I’m a big girl.”

“You sure are,” Beca said. “And your bag is very cute. Just like you.” She pressed a kiss to the little girl’s forehead and then approached Chloe.

“And you’re pretty cute, too,” Beca said. She presented her with the flowers. 

“Why thank you,” Chloe said. She kissed Beca. “They’re beautiful. And so are you.” She opened a cupboard to pull out a vase.

“Dinner smells amazing,” Beca said. “Do you need a hand?”

“Just waiting on things to be ready,” Chloe said. “Can I interest you in a drink? Wine? Beer?”

“A beer would be great,” Beca said, following her into the kitchen. “So how long has Luce been wearing her backpack?”

“Since we got home at like two o’clock,” Chloe said. “She’s beyond excited for school.” She handed Beca a beer, the shorter woman discarding her work bag on the counter momentarily.

“Is there anything even in the bag yet?” Beca asked.

“No, but I have it all,” Chloe said. “I hope you don’t mind but I brought some clothes and stuff over for both of us. Not just a night or two, I’m talking like, a suitcase each.”

“Of course I don’t mind,” Beca said. 

“I think I might just progressively bring some stuff over during the next couple of weeks and see how Lucy handles it,” Chloe said. “If it’s all good, I’ll give our notice to vacate. Provided you’re okay with that.”

“Babe, I’m more than okay with that,” Beca said. She kissed her. “I’m just gonna dump my stuff upstairs.” She went upstairs and dropped her bag in the office, before kicking her shoes off in the bedroom. She took her jacket off and hung it in the wardrobe, then headed back downstairs. Chloe was doing something at the stovetop, so Beca went looking for Lucy.

“Okay little miss,” she said, finding her sitting on the pink armchair she’d gotten her for her birthday. “Time to wash our hands and faces for dinner.”

“Can I wear my bag?” Lucy asked.

“Hmmm,” Beca said. “I think maybe it might get in the way at the dinner table. But we’ll take it off and put it right here on you chair. And after we’ve had the yummy dinner your mom made, we can pack all your things inside ready for school.”

“Ummm…” Lucy didn’t seem convinced about leaving the bag. “Okay.” Beca helped her take it off and settle it on the armchair, then guided the little girl to the downstairs bathroom to wash up. She pulled out the little footstool they kept in there for Lucy and turned some water on. Together they washed their hands and faces, then returned to the kitchen to see Chloe.

“Mommy my face is clean,” Lucy said proudly, holding her face up for her mother’s inspection.

“Beautiful,” she said. “Why don’t you help Beca set the table, I’m just about ready here.” Lucy helped Beca set out cutlery for them, then juice in a cup for herself. Beca still had most of her beer and Chloe had opted for wine.

“Okay,” Chloe said. “Luce’s plate is done. How hungry are you babe?”

“Starving,” Beca said. Chloe dished up their dinner and they all sat at the table together for dinner. They spent the meal asking Lucy what she thought she might get to do at preschool the next day. After the food was gone, Beca said she’d take care of the kitchen while Chloe handled bath time.

She quickly packed up the leftovers into containers and stacked the dishwasher ready to run, cleaned up the kitchen. When she was done, Lucy was wriggling into her pyjamas.

“Can we pack my bag now!?” she begged. 

“Sure thing,” Chloe said. “I’ll go down and get it. Do you think you can find me your purple t-shirt and black shorts while I’m gone? They’re in the bottom drawer.” Lucy nodded solemnly. Beca helped her tug the drawer open and find the clothes in question. Chloe reappeared with the bag and opened it up for Lucy to put them inside. Chloe handed Lucy a few more items - some socks, a spare pair of underwear and a sweater just in case.

“What else has to go in the bag?” Beca asked Chloe.

“We have to send her in a hat and with sunscreen on,” Chloe said. “Also, she can take a comfort toy with her.”

“I assume Bunny is going?” Beca asked. Chloe nodded.

“We’ll pack Bunny in the morning,” she said. “That’s it. She really only needs a full spare set of clothes.”

“You are all packed baby girl,” Chloe said. Lucy cheered and Chloe scooped her up for a hug.

“Okay,” Beca said. “How about we go back downstairs and have a couple of stories before bed?”

“I need six stories,” Lucy said. 

“Six!” Chloe exclaimed. “Well, we want to make sure you have a proper night’s sleep ready for big girl school in the morning, so how about two stories and then we can sing a song for tuck in time?” 

“Okay,” Lucy said. “We can read two stories.” They went back downstairs and read stories together on the couch, forgoing the pink chair so Chloe could fit into story time too.

“Alright,” Chloe said. “It’s time for the potty and then bedtime.”

“We can sing the rainbow song,” Lucy said. “Don’t forget.” They all headed back upstairs to get the bed time routine underway. It took a lot of extra persuading to get the toddler to calm down enough to go to sleep, only relenting when Chloe pointed out that tomorrow she would need extra energy for her big day and Beca promised to make her special pancakes.

“Special pancakes with strawberries,” Beca swore. “I’ll make enough for you and me and your mom too.”

“Okay,” Lucy said. “I go to sleep now.” They left her in her room, choosing to wait a couple of minutes in their own bedroom in case she got up again. She didn’t though, and they managed to busy themselves with other activities for a while, following it up with a hot shower. 

“Coffee?” Chloe asked. “You haven’t even told me how your first day back at work went.” They headed downstairs in their pajamas, making coffee and relaxing on the couch. 

“It was busy,” Beca said. “My schedule for the next little while is absolutely bonkers. I mean, I’m normally busy anyway but I’m playing catch up with the stuff I missed while I was off. But I made sure Jesse had it in stone, Chlo, I’m out of there on time.”

“You realise I don’t mind if you have to work late and stuff,” Chloe said.

“I mind,” Beca said. “How was the rest of your day?”

“Uneventful.Have we got anything planned for Friday night?” Chloe asked.

“Nope,” Beca said. “What are you thinking?”

“I was thinking about doing our friends a favor,” Chloe said. “Aubrey’s off work and I was thinking we should have the twins for a sleepover and give them the chance to have a kid free night just once.”

“Sure,” Beca said. “We’ll have like a pretend camp out in the living room, the kids will love it. Movies, popcorn, pizza.”

“Awesome,” Chloe said. “I’ll call Bree in the morning and let her know.”

“How is Aubrey?” Beca asked. “Don’t think I’ve seen her since New Years.”

“Work, you know,” Chloe said. “And she said that she’s with Stacie and the kids a fair bit now. But she seems great.”

“Yeah,” Beca said. “I’m glad they’re happy.” They hung out on the couch together for a while longer before Beca began yawning. Chloe sent her to bed while she took their mugs into the kitchen before joining her, the two of them falling easily into slumber.

Beca woke early the next morning. She had a little girl to make pancakes for, after all. She heard Chloe get up and begin rustling Lucy out of bed. It didn’t take much prodding before the toddler’s footsteps thudded around upstairs. Beca smiled. She was just sliding a couple onto a plate for Lucy when she skidded into the room.

“Beca! I’m going to school today!” she called as she reached the stool. Beca came around and picked her up to help her in and pushed the plate in front of her. Chloe came in behind her.

“You sure are,” Beca said, kissing her on the head. “And I made you special sparkle pancakes.” The special sparkles in question were simply sprinkles but Lucy was amazed.

“They are so, so cool,” she said. 

“What do you want on your pancakes?” Chloe asked.

“Um… strawberries and syrup,” Lucy said. 

“You go jump in the shower, Chlo, I’ll take care of this,” Beca said. “That way you can get her all ready to go and you’ll have time to take pictures and stuff.” 

“I love you,” she replied. “Won’t be long.” Beca made a bunch more pancakes, keeping some covered for Chloe, but settled next to the toddler with a plate of her own. She got them both some milk too and listened to Lucy chatter excitedly about her big day. She kind of loved it. Lucy was talking so quickly that Beca could only make out about half of what she was saying but it was still beyond adorable.

Chloe entered a few moments later, dressed and ready for her pancakes. Beca traded off and headed for the bathroom. When she returned, Lucy was buzzing about complaining that it wasn’t time to go yet. Beca smiled. She and Chloe finished assembling everything they needed for the day, then Chloe requested time for pictures.

“Okay Luce,” Beca said. “Your mom wants to take some pictures so we remember your big day. Is that alright?” Lucy nodded so Beca snapped a couple of pictures of Lucy and Chloe, some of Lucy on her own. Then Chloe gestured for them to switch so she could get some of Lucy and Beca. After that they all crammed in to try and get a picture of the three of them together. 

“That’s a great photo,” Chloe said. “I love it.”

“When you pick her up this afternoon, call me so I can hear all about it,” Beca said. “I want to hear her excited little shrieking.”

“You sure?”

“Absolutely,” Beca said. “If it wasn’t so far out of the way I’d tell you to bring her past to fill me in. I’m going to let Jesse know to put your call straight through.”

“You’re scoring so many domestic brownie points,” Chloe said to her softly. “I’ve told you how sexy I find that, right?” She kissed Beca soundly.

“And now I’m going to be thinking about that all day,” Beca said. “But I really gotta go.” She kissed Chloe again and then bent down to kiss Lucy on her head too.

“I love you kiddo,” she said. “Have a great day and I’ll see you later, okay?” Lucy threw her little arms around Beca’s neck.

“Love you too, Beca,” she said. Beca shouldered her bag and then headed to work, leaving Chloe and Lucy to lock up the house before they headed out. Chloe had planned to leave a little early because she wanted to make sure they caught Stacie and the twins. The three of them were waiting with Aubrey when they got there, and Lucy ran over to them excitedly. 

“Hey guys,” Chloe said. The kids were bursting out of their skin so they shepherded them to where Lucy had already spotted Juliet. 

“JULIET!” she shrieked. “I’m at school!” Juliet bent down and gave her a big hug before giving Chloe one as well.

“It’s good to see you,” Chloe said. “Lucy’s been exploding out of her body for days. And Lincoln and Maya were at Lucy’s party.”

“Then we should get them their nametags so they can go play already,” Juliet said. She helped them with nametags and corralled them so Stacie and Chloe could take a quick snapshot before they signed them in officially.

“Aaand they no longer care about us,” Stacie said as they went barreling into the play area. 

“But look how much fun they’re having,” Chloe said. “Oh hey, Beca and I are volunteering our services Friday night. Bree, I know you’re off. We’re going to have the twins for a sleep over.”

“Oh lord I love you,” Aubrey said, hugging her. Chloe felt Stacie’s arms around her.

“I do too,” she said. “Seriously.” Chloe laughed. She could understand that. They turned and watched the kids for a while longer before saying goodbye for the day, Chloe sniffling a little. Aubrey squeezed her hand as they went out to the parking lot.

“She’s too little,” Chloe said.

“No, she’s not,” Aubrey said.

“No, she’s not,” Chloe agreed. “Anyway, call me about Friday and I’ll see you guys at pick up time.” She had to leave like right now if she was going to make it to work on time. She waved at them as she headed out, but not before she texted the picture of all three kids to Beca first.


	24. Chapter 24

Friday night rolled around quickly and Stacie and Aubrey dropped Lincoln and Maya over to stay the night. The three kids were absolutely buzzing to have a sleepover, and Stacie and Aubrey were just as excited to have a child free night ahead of them. The twins were already in their pajamas and raced off into the living area looking for Lucy.

“Hot damn, you two,” Beca said, appreciating how good their two friends looked. “You both look seriously hot.”

“True,” Chloe agreed. “What’s the plan for tonight?”

“Dinner,” Stacie said. “A club. At least one, maybe more.”

“More if we last that long without tearing each other’s clothes off,” Aubrey said. Chloe saw the way the two of them were eyeing each other.

“Yeah, you guys won’t make it that long,” she said. “Go, have fun, don’t worry about us. We have Disney ready to go, pizza on the way, and a whole mess of sleeping bags and blankets in the living room.” They came in long enough to kiss the twins, and then hurried off for their night out.

“Our friends are babes,” Beca said.

“They really are,” Chloe said. “They look good together.” They went and found the kids, who were giggling and chattering in front of the television, looking at the setup for that night. Chloe didn’t want them all sleeping right in front of the television so she’d blocked that area off with the coffee table, opening up the floor space. The kids had little sleeping bags and pillows atop some thick blankets a bit further back, and Beca had set up an air mattress behind them for her and Chloe.

“So, pizza is on the way guys,” Chloe said. “Does anyone need the bathroom before dinner?” 

It was an easy night. The kids were happy eating cheesy pizza and then popcorn while they watched Tangled and The Aristocats. By the end of the second movie they were almost asleep so Beca and Chloe ushered them into the bathroom to brush their teeth and go to the potty before bed. They climbed into their sleeping bags, staying long enough for Beca to read two Dr Seuss stories in animated voices, before they began to doze off.

Chloe and Beca snuck into the kitchen, sitting at the counter and drinking coffee. It was still pretty early in the night and they didn’t have to be in bed just yet. There was another sitting room off of the other dining room entry so they settled in there, still able to hear if anything was happening in the living room but not so close they had to be worried about waking the kids up.

“So I’ve been thinking more about the decorating thing,” Chloe said. “And I know you said you literally don’t care, but I’d hate to do up your whole house and then you absolutely hate it but never say anything. So I’m going to ask for your help picking out the big stuff - furniture and paint color and stuff - and then I’ll fill in the gaps. Because you want it to be our home, and that includes your input.”

“Deal,” Beca said. “So Lucy seems okay with it?”

“Well she hasn’t minded that I’ve started bringing her most prized possessions over,” Chloe said. “I think that’s a good sign, I mean most of our stuff is here now. But if we go back for everything else over the weekend, I think I need to tell her bluntly that we aren’t coming back. Make it a definitive moment.”

“That’s not a bad idea,” Beca said. “But this weekend? You want to do it that quickly?”

“I so want to be wherever you are all of the time,” Chloe said. Beca leaned in and kissed her, the two of them getting heavily entwined. But they were still within earshot of the children so they didn’t push any farther than making out.

“So this room here,” Beca said. “It’s boring and I pretty much never use it, you know?”

“We’re using it now,” Chloe pointed out.

“Only due to the three sleeping preschoolers in the living room,” she replied. “It isn’t very big and this couch is only here because I knew something had to go in this space, but I want you to have it. For a study for when you go back to med school.”

“You what?”

“I’m not trying to hurry you to go back to school,” Beca said. “Whenever you’re ready. But this can be your space. A desk and a bookshelf would fit nicely in here too.” Chloe threw herself at her and kissed her again, before snuggling into her side.

“Sometimes I worry about going back to med school,” Chloe said. “About how much time I’ll spend away from Lucy and you. I do still want to be a doctor, though.”

“Then whenever you’re ready, we’ll make it happen,” Beca said. “And you’ll be an amazing doctor. I’ll help by distracting Luce while you study and bringing you coffee.”

“Bree said she’d help me with classes and stuff,” Chloe said. “Since she’s already done it all. I hope they’re having a good night out.”

“I would be willing to wager that their night out doesn’t last out very long and heads more… in.”

“Bree’s never really said that the twins have put a damper on their sex life,” Chloe mused.

“No, but an empty house means they can go as long and as loud as they like,” Beca said. “I lived with Stace for long enough to know in great detail how carried away she can get.”

“I’ve always been so glad that Lucy sleeps like a log,” Chloe said. “Once she’s out, she’s out.” Her lips met Beca’s again and the slightly smaller woman began tugging her over until she was straddling her lap. Beca’s hands slid up the back of her shirt and she moaned as they caressed her back. Beca’s touch never failed to bring her body to life. 

“Beca-” There were sleeping children not too far away, a fact that was not lost on Chloe.

“I know,” she said, pre-empting Chloe’s protest. “I just want to kiss you a while longer, if that’s okay.” Chloe nodded as she kissed her, the two of them falling back into the couch. They managed to keep it pretty tame while they made out on the couch, both of them resisting the urge to just strip off right there. But their kisses slowed and stilled and soon enough Chloe mentioned that a cup of coffee sounded like a great idea. Beca disappeared to the bathroom while she put the coffee on and they drank them standing in the doorway to the living area, watching the three sleeping toddlers.

“Man, when kids sleep they sleep hard,” Beca whispered. “It’s nuts.” After they’d finished up their coffee they went and changed into pajamas and curled up on the air mattress. It wasn’t the most comfortable they’d ever been, but with Chloe’s arm wrapped around Beca’s waist, it didn’t take her long to fall asleep. 

They were both awoken by giggling toddlers the next morning, accompanied by that slightly jarring feeling of people hovering too close to them while they slept. As they blearily sorted themselves out, the kids took turns going to the bathroom. Beca was coherent first and after kissing Chloe on the cheek, said she’d be in the kitchen making coffee and sparkle pancakes. That brought a round of excited squeals from the kids, and that was enough to shake Chloe into an alert state.

“Okay guys, let’s use our inside voices,” she said. Beca just laughed at her and headed into the kitchen. She may not be a mother but she knew full well that toddlers didn’t have inside voices.

Once Chloe had freshened up, she joined Beca in the kitchen and began pouring juice for the kids, getting some fruit out to accompany the pancakes. It didn’t take too long for Beca to start setting the pancakes down, the three kids pinned in place by the promise of their special breakfast.

Aubrey and Stacie arrived as they were eating, Chloe getting up to make them coffee while they sat around the table and joined in on the pancakes. Both women looked happy and incredibly satisfied - seeming like their night alone had gone well. 

“Have fun last night?” Beca asked. Their friends grinned automatically.

“We sure did,” Stacie said. “Great food, good wine, a little dancing…”

“And then the rest of the night was even better, though we’ll save tiny ears from hearing those details,” Aubrey added.

“I just missed my munchkins too much,” Stacie said, reaching over to pinch some strawberry from Maya’s plate. “Plus, Bree said something about you guys wanting to bring the rest of Chloe and Lucy’s stuff over so we thought we might do a return favor kind of a deal and take Lucy to the park and give you guys some time.”

“What?” Lucy said. “Park?”

“Do you want to go to the park with Aunt Bree?” Chloe asked. Lucy nodded. “Well we have to get you cleaned up and dressed.”

“And you little squirts need to get dressed too,” Stacie said. The four adults got up and they spent some time tidying up before dressing the three toddlers ready for the day. Chloe said they’d drop past and pick Lucy up a bit later, since she still had to explain the full concept of moving to her yet. 

“And you need to call me later,” she said to Aubrey as Beca fitted Lucy’s seat in the very rear of Stacie’s SUV. “For details.”

“You know I will,” she promised. They waved Aubrey, Stacie and the three kids off, and then headed back inside and upstairs to take a shower. 

“So does that mean by the end of the day you guys are like, going to live here?” Beca asked as they waited for the water to adjust. Her hand gently grazed along Chloe’s hip. 

“That’s the plan,” Chloe said. She stuck her hand under the spray and judged that it was sufficiently warm. Her other hand reached for Beca and tugged her into the stall with her. They came together under the hot water, glad that there was no longer a toddler audience preventing them from touching each other in all the ways they had wanted the previous night. 

The shower ran a lot longer than they’d anticipated but they eventually got out, dressed and headed for the apartment. It was looking pretty bare. The furniture was still there - Chloe had negotiated with the landlord to leave it all behind, saying he could sell it or lease the place as furnished, whatever he wanted. Chloe had no need for any of their furniture at Beca’s anyway, since she was about to redo the house. 

They made a couple of trips between the two houses, bringing back everything except one small suitcase of Chloe’s and one of Lucy’s. Chloe said she wanted to leave them, and bring Lucy back so that she could explain the significance of moving out to her. 

They texted Stacie to find out where they were at, receiving a return message that they were about done at the park and were ready for lunch so Beca said they’d meet them there. They headed to the park and met up with the others, only stopping to chat for a few minutes before they parted ways. 

Beca and Chloe decided to take Lucy for lunch, stopping for burgers on their way back to the apartment. When they got back, Lucy realised that their stuff was gone.

“Mama, what happened?” she asked. Then she spotted the suitcases. “Are we going to see Nanny and Pop?”

“No sweetie,” Chloe said. “But we need to talk about home.”

“What ‘bout it?”

“Well, since you and me and Beca are a family now,” Chloe said, “we should probably live in the same house, what do you think?” 

“All together?”

“Yeah,” Chloe said. “And this has been a good house for when it was just you and me. But it’s a little bit small for you and me and Beca. The lounge is squishy when it’s all of us, remember?”

“Yup,” Lucy said.

“But Beca’s house is very big,” Chloe said. “It’s big and we all fit and we have a big yard where you can play, so the new family - that’s you and me and Beca too - should all stay at Beca’s.”

“At yours?” Lucy said to Beca. 

“Except it won’t just be mine any more,” Beca said. “It’ll be ours. All of us. I would love that more than anything. But that means after we take your bags, Luce, you guys aren’t going to come back here any more.”

“I get to stay with Mama and Beca all the time?” Lucy asked. Chloe nodded. “Okay!” Beca chuckled. She was an extremely easy going kid. 

Beca grabbed Chloe’s case so she could better wrangle Lucy and her bag, and they headed downstairs. Chloe stopped by the super’s room to hand in her keys and Beca arranged with him to pay for a cleaning service to come in and take care of the apartment. 

Once they got back home - Chloe kept smiling because it was their home now, not just Beca’s place - Lucy settled in the living room playing with her baby doll Cat in The Hat while Beca helped Chloe unpack the things they’d brought with them. They spent the afternoon putting things away and moving things around, before Chloe declared that she’d had enough. 

“Hey Luce,” she said. “Do you want to come and check out what your room looks like now?” Lucy looked up in excitement and bounded up the stairs with Chloe. Beca was waiting inside, hopeful that Lucy would like what she and Chloe had done to the room. Her toys were parked on the shelves, her pictures up on the wall. Chloe had brought her drawing table and chair, which was taking up another corner of the room - a lot bigger than her last one.

“I love this!” Lucy said. “It’s my room!” Beca grinned and scooped the little girl up into a hug. She couldn’t stop grinning. Chloe and Lucy were here with her and they were a family. Nothing was going to top this moment. She actually thought she was going to cry.

“Beca, are you - crying?” Chloe asked. Beca sniffled. Tears weren’t falling but she was definitely misty eyed. Chloe engulfed Beca in a hug, the smaller woman still with Lucy in her arms. Lucy wriggled between them so Beca put her down.

“You okay?” she asked.

“Yeah,” Beca said. “Um, just really happy you know? Like… Stace and the kids and CR… even Jesse at the label. They’ve always been enough of a family. Stace especially. But you guys are like… here. And you’re my family now.” Chloe kissed her hard.

“I love you Beca Mitchell,” she said. “And I am so glad that we’re family.”

“I’ve wanted this for so long,” Beca said. “To feel this way. I just got so god damn lucky it was you and Lucy who came along and made this happen for me.” She kissed Chloe this time, softer, before they turned their attention to the little girl now jumping atop her bed happily.

“Just the paperwork to do now,” Chloe said. “Call the utilities, that sort of thing. That can wait til Monday.”

“I think dinner is on the cards pretty soon,” Beca said.

“And bath time,” Chloe said. 

“Well, why don’t you take care of that, and I’ll start cooking,” Beca said. “I hope you don’t mind, I feel like something light, we’ve had pizza and pancakes and burgers one after the other.”

“For sure,” Chloe said. “Come on sweet child of mine, time for a bath.” Beca headed downstairs and put some music on while she started cooking. She sang along as she did, not hearing when Lucy and Chloe came downstairs. Chloe snuck in behind her and slid her arms around her waist, kissing her on the cheek.

“I just thought you should know that your wardrobe is now mostly my wardrobe,” Chloe said with a flutter of her eyelashes. “Hope that’s okay.”

“Yeah, like my vast collection of jeans and shirts was ever going to make a dent in that monstrous walk in,” Beca said. “You know you can have all the space in the world.” Chloe beamed at her and began setting the table. 

They ate dinner together and then settled into the couch together for a couple of episodes of My Little Pony before it was time to tuck Lucy into bed. It was still early but both Beca and Chloe were tired from their day of moving so they made their way into the bathroom for a long hot bath - sans the activities they’d enjoyed in the shower that morning - just enjoying the heat and being pressed against one another.

Climbing into pajamas and getting into bed was next in their plan. They didn’t see the need to get up and go back downstairs only to come back relatively quickly. They just stretched out their tired and sleepy bodies, talking a little and kissing a little until their eyelids got heavy and sleep was imminent. Chloe inched over and curled into Beca, resting against her shoulder.

“It’s good to be home,” Chloe mumbled.

“Yeah it is,” Beca said with a smile, pressing her lips against Chloe’s head before she drifted off to sleep.


End file.
